POV
by Vashkoda
Summary: What if there were ex-Quincy among the ranks of the Shinigami? What if Orihime had corrupted her soul to save her friends? What if I just stop spoiling the story and let you read it for yourselves? Latest POV-Kisuke Urahara
1. Timeline

**P.O.V.**

What if there were ex-Quincy among the ranks of the Shinigami? What if Orihime had corrupted her soul to save her friends? What if I just stop spoiling the story and let you read it for yourselves?

A.N.: This fic is a continuation of some of my other Bleach fics, which to be honest, I had never intended to be in the same universe, but then I figured, _why not?_ I never really planned to continue those other fics, but I did have some loose threads that were left untied, and that always bothers me. I also wanted to experiment a little in my writing style, and I figured this was as good a venue as any. If you're happy with the way those other fics ended and don't want to risk me botching your happy memories of them, then by all means, ignore this one. If you're curious about this story but don't feel like reading my other three, short as they are, I've provided a timeline to help you catch up (of course, they will also spoil those fics for you if you ever decide to read them). I've seen the year 2111 thrown around as the year the Bleach manga starts, though current evidence contradicts this. I'm just going to write this timeline to coincide with the present day--or at least 2006, five years after the manga started. **Bolded events** are AU from my fics, other dates are directly from the manga or as closely approximated as is current knowledge (this may also spoil some of the official storyline for you if you only watch the dubbed anime, though it is quickly catching up).

*One thing I probably should clarify, just because it will be mentioned later, is that in my AU, Quincy's have a power called the Sight, which allows them to see individual spirit particles. While this ability is useful in manipulating reiatsu as Quincy do, it can also affect the way their brains interpret visual information. One consequence of this, in Isane especially, is that dreams and nightmares become more vivid and difficult to distinguish from reality.

**Prologue I**

_TIMELINE OF EVENTS_

97 B.C. General Yamamoto founds the _Shinigami_ academy. He and Unohana are already captains of the Gotei 13

91 B.C. Ukitake and Kyouraku graduate and soon become captains of the Gotei 13

1806 A.D. The Shinigami begin a campaign of extermination against the Quincy. **Of those who die and are reborn in the Soul Society, few remember that they were once Quincy.**

1857 A.D. Rukia and Hisana die and are reborn into Soul Society

1899 A.D. The eleventh Kenpachi **(Ryuken)** kills the tenth Kenpachi and takes over as 11th Division captain. **The 3rd Division captain is banished to the Maggot's Nest when he attempts to retire**. Rose is promoted to be the new 3rd Division captain.

1900 A.D. Urahara is promoted to 12th Division captain as Hikifun is promoted to 0th Division. Urahara founds the Research Institute.

1909 A.D. Urahara creates the hougyoku; several captains and vice captains become Vizard; Urahara creates untraceable gigai and is banished from Soul Society. Yoruichi follows him into exile. Aizen is promoted to 5th division captain and Gin becomes his lieutenant.

**1910 A.D. Unohana is promoted to 0th Division and Isshin Shiba takes over as 4th Division captain.**

**1950 A.D. Zaraki kills Ryuken Kenpachi and takes over as the twelfth Kenpachi and 11th Division captain, to Toussen's dismay. **Aizen begins converting Toussen to his side.

1951 A.D. Ikkaku and Yamichika learn that Zaraki is a captain of the Gotei 13 and apply to the Academy.

**1963 A.D**. Renji and Rukia apply to the Shinigami Academy.

**1964 A.D. **Shuhei graduates from the academy and soon becomes Toussen's lieutenant.

1965 A.D. Hisana Kuchki dies.

1966 A.D**. **Rukia is adopted into the Kuchki family and is fast-tracked into the 13th Division. **Ryuken is reborn in the human world as Ryuken Ishida. **

**1969 A.D**. Renji, Momo and Kira are recruited into 5th Division by Aizen after graduating from the Academy.

**1970 AD.** Renji is transferred to the 11th Division. Kira is transferred to the 4th Division.

**1972 A.D.** Byakuya is promoted to 6th Division captain. Gin is promoted to 3rd Division captain and Kira is promoted to be his lieutenant, while Momo takes Gin's place as lieutenant of 5th.

1986 A.D. Isshin Shiba leaves the Gotei 13,** faking his death** and disguising himself in a human gigai. **He guides young Ryuken into a career in medicine to hide him from the Quincy extermination forces. Unohana returns from the Royal Dimension to temporarily resume her captainship. // Kiyone and Isane meet and are trained by the Shaman, an ex-Quincy.* Kiyone is healed of her illness. Yamichika defeats the Shaman, who survives and swears revenge. Kiyone adopts Isane into her noble family, and both enter the Shinigami Academy.**

1991 A.D. Ichigo, Uryuu, Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki, and their classmates are born.

**1993 A.D**. Isane is promoted to 4th Division lieutenant.

1995 A.D. Yuzu and Karin are born.

**1996 A.D.** Kaien and Miyako Shiba are killed. Kiyone and Sentaro are promoted to joint 3rd seats of the 13th Division. The 13th Division lieutenant slot is left unfilled.

1998 A.D. Uryuu's grandfather is killed; Kurotsuchi finishes his experimentation on the Quincy

2000 A.D. Ichigo's mother is killed.

2003 A.D. Sora Inoue is killed.

2006 A.D. April: Rukia transfers her powers to Ichigo.

May: Renji is promoted to 6th Divison lieutenant.

June: Renji and Byakuya find Rukia and bring her back to the Soul Society

July: Ichigo, Chad, Uryuu, Orihime and Yoruichi travel to the Soul Society to rescue Rukia.

September: Orihime is blackmailed into going to Hueco Mundo. Ichigo, Uryuu, Chad, Rukia and Renji, and several other Shinigami go there to rescue her.

**October: Orihime is killed by Aizen when she tries to destroy the hougyoku, in the process losing her healing powers and creating her dormant hollow. She is reborn into the Soul Society and joins with the resurrected Espada, who try to recover their hollow powers and return to Aizen. Ulquiorra successfully becomes a Vizard and threatens to kill Ichigo, who had come to save Orihime. With Yammy's zanpakuto, Orihime awakens her hollow and kills Ulquiorra.**

The story now continues....


	2. Keigo's Humor

**P.O.V.**

**Prologue - Part II**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters.

* * *

I know what's going through your head. You take one look at me as I walk past you down the street, and say to yourself,_ "that's just an ordinary (albeit ruggedly handsome) guy"_. But rest assured-

You couldn't be further from the truth.

My name is Keigo Asano, _and_ _I can see dead people_. Yes ladies, I am just _that _cool. And furthermore-

"Why would girls be impressed that you can see ghosts?" asked my buddy Mizuiro, interrupting my silent thoughts, which I guess hadn't been all that silent. "Don't you think that would freak them out? And who exactly are you talking to? There's no one here but us."

I threw him the evil eye, but of course Mizuiro wasn't paying me any attention, carefully watching the oncoming traffic as we crossed an intersection on our way to school. I waited until we had reached the other side before I jabbed him in the shoulder. "Idiot, I was practicing. If you really _are_ my friend, you might try being a little supportive!"

Mizu rubbed his arm and rolled his eyes at me. "If you want to impress the girls, just tell them you're Ichigo's friend." It was true. For some reason, all the hot girls seemed to be interested in Ichigo.

"Gah, I just don't get what they all see in him," I grumbled. Then I thought of something that cheered me up a little. "Heh, now that he's possessed by that perverted stuffed animal, he's gonna have quite a different reputation."

Mizu gave me a disapproving stare. "No thanks to _you_ for encouraging that behavior. Didn't Urahara-san ask us to keep an eye on him and help our friends?"

"Hey, it's not like we're doing anything wrong! I mean, no one actually caught us sneaking into the girls' locker room or peeking through that bathroom window. Those were mostly Cone's idea, anyway. I just went along to keep an eye on him."

"Riiiight."

"Besides, you're one to talk! You seem to be going out with a new girl every week. Where do you find these chicks?"

Mizuiro shrugged. Before I could interrogate him further, a flock of beautiful females suddenly turned the corner ahead of us. I couldn't believe my eyes--this was my big break! What was I going to say? Should I really add in that bit about knowing Ichigo?

"Oh hey, it's Mizuiro-kun! Hi Mizo!" one of the ladies cried out, jumping up and down and waving cutely. My heart sank, and I turned my icy glare onto my so-called friend. At least he had the decency to look embarrassed, especially when the rest of the girls all turned around and squealed in delight when they recognized him.

"Nice to see you again, ladies!" he waved back to them. "I'm sorry I can't stop to chat, but we're already late to school!"

They 'awwed' in disappointment--or maybe because they thought it was adorable that two boys like us were still _walking_ to school. I ducked my head and walked a little faster. Damn that Mizuiru, making me look bad.

"Maybe I should just tell girls I'm _your_ friend," I muttered through gritted teeth when he had finally caught up to me.

I mean honestly, what does Mizuiro have that I don't?

***

I know what fear gnaws at you in the dark hours of the night. I know what hopes you cling to when you're all alone and wonder if there's still a reason to go on. Ladies, let me comfort your fluttering hearts and reassure you, that yes...

I am still single.

How could this be, you ask? Am I not _Keigo the Fearless_, bodyguard to the mighty Ichigo Kurasaki--slayer of demons? Why yes, yes I am. And furthermore-

"Furthermore, you are an idiot, Keigo," said Tatsuki, coming up from behind and nearly giving me a heart attack. "You're supposed to be watching Kon, not hitting on your invisible girlfriends." _Ouch_, that stung.

"I'll have you know I _am_ watching Cone," I told her smugly, leaning against the classroom door. "He's in this room right now, talking to some upperclassmen."

Tatsuki poked her head inside, then growled and jerked me roughly by the collar so that I caught what she had seen.

There was Ichigo--or his body, anyway--resting his head on not one but _two_ plushy female laps, while three more girls leaned over him and listened attentively to whatever he was saying. I felt horribly betrayed, but the fury on my face wasn't anything close to Tatsuki's. She stormed inside, knocked over any seats, backpacks or students between her and that orange-headed fool.

"If you like these legs, you should see my- oh, hey Tatsuki. What's wro-_owowowow!"_

Tatsuki had grabbed Ichigo's body by the ear and was now dragging him out of the room. "You won't finish that sentence if you value your life!" she hissed.

"Whaa-? All I was gonna say was that if they liked my legs, they should come watch me kick the ball in soccer practice! _Honest!_ Tatsuki, that really hurts. Please stop? Keigo, tell her to _STOP!_"

I leaned over to the ear that wasn't in the process of being ripped off his scalp, and angrily whispered back, "You greedy bastard, you were supposed to leave some for me, not take them all for yourself!"

"Hey, it's not my fault the girls love me," he replied innocently, then continued to cry out pitifully as Tatsuki led him away. I threw a hopeful glance back in the classroom.

"Keigo, are you coming?"

Not wishing to undergo similar torture, I reluctantly followed, throwing one last wistful look at the girls inside.

Man, how could fate be so _cruel?_

As I caught up with Tatsuki and Cone, Mizuiro joined us from an intersecting hallway.

"Hey guys. Hey Kon."

Cone moaned and flapped an arm up weakly in what might have been a greeting.

We never used to walk home together, but this had become sort of a routine ever since the real Ichigo and the others had left. Urahara-san wanted us with Cone any time he left Ichigo's house. Tatsuki figured it was to keep him out of trouble and protect Ichigo's reputation. I thought it might be because Cone was a spirit and could attract more of those demon creatures, and that he might need our protection. Of course, Mizuiro had point out the fact that none of _us_ had any powers, and if anything, we might need that ex-stuffed animal to save _us_. That idea didn't sit too well with Tatsuki, though even I had to admit that Mizo was probably right.

When we were about halfway to Ichigo and Tatsuki's neighborhood, we heard a really loud howling noise echo through the streets. Since we were used to this sort of thing by now, the four of us automatically flattened ourselves against the wall of the nearest building. Mizuiro and Tatsuki had been in the middle of some argument that I wasn't bothering to listen to, and they continued at it despite the rattling of the windows and the blaring sounds of car alarms going off as the ground shook. People were scrambling out of buildings and shouting about earthquakes. The four of us must have really stood out, looking so calm and completely ignoring the chaos around us. Well, we weren't exactly ignoring _everything_; I think it's fair to say we were all paying _very _close attention to how loud the monster's screams were getting, although no one else would have been able to hear them.

I glanced over at Cone, who was staring at Ichigo's watch and counting down the seconds.

There was a blur of movement and a trail of dust as four youngsters raced down the street. Ichigo's twin sisters paused a moment to wave at us, while Urahara-san's two underage employees ran past carrying a missile launcher and large iron bat. The famous spirit medium Don Kanonji was only a few steps behind them, waving his stick around and shouting encouragement.

"Man am I glad they don't recognize me in this body," sighed Cone in relief after they were gone. "I hated being dragged along to their crazy battles."

We continued on our way, not really paying attention to the demon's howls of pain as it was slowly but surely being defeated. Tatsuki threw a thoughtful glance in the direction the noise was coming from, but even she had long ago accepted that those kids knew how to take care of themselves. We also passed Afro-dude, one of those _men-in-black _who are supposed to protect our town. He looked like he had been about to go investigate the demon, but when he saw the kids run by, he just sat right back down, looking dejected.

Yeah, it's a little sad that ten year-olds are protecting us from the big-bad monsters, but what can you do?

"What in the-" said Tatsuki suddenly, stopping in her tracks. Whatever it was, Cone seemed to sense it too, and turned on his heels and took off running, screaming something about stuffed animals.

Mizo and I exchanged confused glances, but when we saw Tatsuki bolt in the opposite direction Cone had gone, we immediately raced after her.

"Hey...Tatsuki...mind...telling us...what's... going on?" I panted between breaths. Damn that girl runs fast.

"Don't you sense it?" she growled. "Ichigo's back."

Mizuiro nodded as if he could, though I still didn't feel a thing. Most likely the two of them were pulling my leg, trying to see if I would fall for their little joke. But then why did Tatsuki look so worried? As she led us through the doors of Karakura Hospital, I began having a bad feeling.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked her as she raced up the steps, since Tatsuki apparently thought it'd be faster than waiting for the elevator. Rather than answer, she burst through the door leading to the sixth floor and motioned for us to follow.

She headed straight for one of the patient rooms. Any second, I expected one of the nurses or doctors to demand to know what three teenagers were doing running through the hospital, but no one stopped us. There was a gray-haired guard stationed in front of the door Tatsuki was heading for, however. He got up out of his seat when he noticed her racing towards him, but Tatsuki was too fast and wriggled past him, throwing the door wide open.

Ichigo, Chad and Uryuu lay stretched out on three hospital beds inside, their bodies covered in bandages with an assortment of tubes and wires poking out from beneath the sheets. Ichigo was the only one who reacted to the sound of Tatsuki's entrance, sitting up in bed with a haunted look in his eyes.

"Ichigo, where's Orihime?!" she demanded, her arm now restrained by the man at the door. Mizo and I looked at each other helplessly, wondering if we should try to intervene before that crazy girl did something that could get us arrested.

"It's okay Mr. Ishida, these are friends," said Ichigo wearily. The guard narrowed his eyes at Tatsuki, then released her.

"Ishida? Are you and Uryuu-" started Mizuiro, but he never finished his question. What Ichigo said next had us all stunned.

"We tried, Tatsuki. We fought so hard, and we...we just weren't fast enough." Ichigo's face twisted into a mask of pain and fury, and he quickly turned it away from us.

"Orihime is dead."

***

I know what you're thinking. How can Orihime be dead? How can the hero have failed to rescue his princess? What kind of crappy ending is this?

"Keigo, do you even notice when you're talking out loud, or are you trying to be annoying on purpose?"

Ichigo was sitting next to me on the school roof at lunch, staring off into the distance as if he was pretending not to have actually spoken to me. He's always trying to look cool, damn him. _Why can't I ever look that cool? _

"You have to give him credit though, his stories are entertaining," grinned Mizuiro. Good ol' Mizuiro. He always has my back.

"Maybe we should talk about something else," said Chad in his usual soft rumble. He had been watching Ichigo closely, and must have picked up on some signal the rest of us missed. All I noticed was Ichigo scowling, and come on, when is he _not_ scowling? At least Cone had a sense of humor.

I decided it was safer just to follow Chad's suggestion, even though I couldn't see what the big deal was. After all, the story _did_ have a happy ending. A week after their return, some weird green-haired woman had fetched Ichigo and taken him to another dimension, and when he came back, he had Orihime with him. Whatever had happened over there, neither Ichigo nor Orihime had ever wanted to talk about it. But come on, everyone was safe again. Things were going to be all right from now on.

... Right?

A.N.: Yes, I know how to spell Kon. Keigo just never understood the meaning behind the word, and assumed it was spelled the way it sounds. Anyway, this ends the Prologue part of the story. Each chapter will be told in a different style and from a different point of view, hence the title. I just felt like trying something new.


	3. Renji's Friendship

**P.O.V.**

**-What Friends are For-**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters.

* * *

_It's about _damn_ time. _

_Now I'll finally get what I deserve. I'll show all those people who doubted me. They'll see me and weep in jealousy and shame._

_**Yeah ...right**. What the hell am I saying? Look at me, trembling like a little baby. Deserve this? Hell, I can think of people--**lots** of people--who would deserve this more than me. Why was** I** the one they picked?_

_Maybe this is all a joke, just some twisted prank of the General's to pay me back for all those times I've gone against orders. I know I've been nothing but a huge embarrassment to him. They've demoted me before... why **pro**mote me now? Are they that desperate for captains? _

_Will there be some sort of test I need to pass? Maybe that's what they're waiting for... to see me fail again. Well **screw that**._

_That's it, I'm not going. I won't let them make a fool out of me. _

Someone was moving outside my door. I was so tense, my first reflex was to reach for my zanpakuto. I forced my hand away from it, and made myself breathe normally. I might be nervous as hell, but there was no way I'd let anyone see it.

"Abarai-san, are you ready for the ceremony?"

_What the- that's Captain Kuchki's voice! Did that smug bastard just call me Abarai-san? No way in hell would the proud Captain Kuchki ever lower himself to calling me **-san**. That settles it, they're definitely up to something. If they think a few nice words from my captain are going to convince me to show up, they have another thing coming._

"Please sir, go ahead without me. I'm...uh...still waiting for someone."

I listened closely to the sound of his retreating footsteps, a little surprised that he didn't insist on having me follow him to the First Division's barracks. Well, whatever. I actually hadn't been lying, and maybe he knew that. When I'd first gotten news of my promotion, I was so excited that the first thing I did was send a hell butterfly back with a message to Rukia. I regret it now, since I'm sure she'll be insisting that I go ahead with this farce. I might be able to stand being made a fool of in front of the captains, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Rukia saw me.

_Maybe if I make a run for it now-_

"Renji?"

I sighed in defeat as the screen door slid open. Rukia hadn't waited for permission to enter, of course. Privacy wasn't a concept either of us had grown up with, and old habits died hard.

Despite my dark musings, Rukia's bright smile was infectious, and I found myself laughing with her as she jumped up and wrapped her tiny arms around my shoulders.

"I'm so happy for you, Renji! You've waited so long for this!"

I felt myself blushing. How on earth was I going to break this to her?

"I dunno, Rukia... I was actually wondering, you know, if I ought to even-"

The corner of Rukia's eye twitched. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts?"

I hesitated before answering, and Rukia's twitch turned into a scowl. "Haha, that's crazy.... Just as crazy as me being made a captain."

"Renji," she started, separating herself from me so she could stare up into my face. "Don't belittle yourself. You're an amazing officer; an amazing _person_. Whatever squad you're joining should be grateful you're willing to lead them."

I couldn't help but laugh at her words. "Grateful, eh? I think Fifth Division would be grateful for just about anyone right now. That bastard Aizen turned them into a bunch of spineless cripples that make even _the Fourth_ look tough."

Rukia's eyes widened, but that didn't surprise me. As an unseated officer, I knew she wasn't privy to a lot of information.

"I thought they might let Lieutenant Hinamori take over her division. Someone familiar would help ease their nerves."

"Nah," I said, shaking my head. "She needs her own nerves settled more than anyone. The higher-ups figured she might recover more quickly if she was somewhere new, without constant reminders of Aizen."

Rukia nodded slowly as she seemed to be working it all out in her head. "So she's taking your old position then? Or is she joining Thirteenth?"

_Sheesh, how out of touch could she be? And this was about her own division! _

"Thirteenth's two third seats are getting promoted," I told her, watching her startled expression. "Don't ask me how they're sorting it all out; my guess is they'll just be reshuffling lieutenants to different squads." Something occurred to me then, and I grinned down at her mischievously.

"Hey, maybe these openings will force Ukitake to finally promote you! I'd love to see the look on your brother's face. Even _he_ can't argue that you aren't qualified. I mean c'mon, you took down an Espada! You should have been made a frickin' lieutenant by now."

I had a sudden vision of Rukia as my lieutenant, helping me lead my new division. Or--knowing Rukia--she'd be arguing my orders as often as following them, calling me stupid names and making a scene every chance she got.

_Just like old times...._

If only the lieutenant positions weren't all already filled. Now I'd probably end up with some moron like Marechiyo, making the job of bringing some scrap of honor or respect back to the Fifth that much more laughable.

Rukia blushed. "It doesn't matter Renji. And besides, we're here about _your_ promotion."

I sighed loudly. Being back with Rukia, I'd almost forgotten the whole reason she was here. Now I was starting to feel nervous again. Fighting a deranged Espada who ate his own minions and impregnated his enemies to resurrect himself? _Not a problem._ Facing a whirlwind of thousands of razor-sharp pink shards that sliced through my body and left me a bleeding hunk of raw meat? _No sweat._ But the thought of humiliating myself in front of all those captains....

_No, lets be honest here. I couldn't give a crap what the Gotei Thirteen thought of me._

What I feared most was humiliating myself in front of my closest friend. I couldn't stand the thought of letting her down. My promotion meant more to her than it ever would to me. I knew she'd been embarrassed the day she met Byakuya and was immediately fast-tracked out of the academy. Up until then, we had been equals, pushing each other to work harder. I began to exceed her skills, and I got put in the advanced classes ahead of her. I was a fool at the time, and I didn't see that I really owed it all to her. If I was ahead of her, it was only because she encouraged me more than I encouraged her. She had been the better friend.

Then she got assigned a squad ahead of me, and was adopted into a noble family to boot. She didn't believe she deserved any of it, and she made every effort to avoid me; to avoid the awkward questions and accusations that she feared I would bring up. She should have realized then that I would never do that to her.

In her eyes, this promotion was making things right again. As a captain, we'd be on equal footing again, despite that damn Kuchki name.

Rukia fingered the white captain's haori that someone had delivered to me earlier. I had immediately tossed it over a chair and had avoided looking at it since. I couldn't help but shudder as she unrolled the fabric, making the number five symbol stand out on the back. I sincerely hoped that this haori was new, and never stained by that wretch Aizen's filthy touch.

"Come here, I want to see it on you."

I rolled my eyes as I approached her, bowing low so that she could reach my shoulders and drape it over me.

"Well?" I asked her, straightening up. "Do I look as foolish as I feel?"

Rukia appeared serious as she made a show of studying me for several long moments from different angles. I waited patiently, gritting my teeth.

"You look quite noble, actually." She was grinning openly now.

"Try not to look so surprised," I shot back.

She saluted me stiffly, but her eyes were twinkling in merriment. "Aye-aye, Captain."

I made a sound of disgust and almost tore the haori off, before Rukia leaped forward and pinned my arms against my sides in another hug.

"I'm proud of you," she muttered into my robes, keeping her head down. From the dampness I felt where her face was pressed, I could tell that she was crying. I reached over and held her tightly against me, giving her time to dry her tears.

"Thank you, Rukia," I said softly, squeezing her to show her I meant it.

"Of course, you big idiot," she chuckled shakily, still recovering her composure. "After all, I'm your best friend."

I stiffened slightly before opening my arms to let her escape. Rukia blushed as she dried her cheeks, not showing any sign that she'd noticed my sudden discomfort.

_I'm **your** best friend_. Wasn't it usually said the other way around? Maybe it didn't matter; after all, Rukia wasn't acting like anything was wrong. Yet still, it nagged at me the way she had said it. Did it imply that someone else was _her _best friend?

It would have to be Ichigo. Those two had shared a bond between their souls deeper than the many years of friendship Rukia and I had shared. Ichigo and I had both risked our lives to save Rukia from execution, but in the end, it was Ichigo who had rescued her.

It made perfect sense that she would consider Ichigo a better friend to her than I had ever been.

"Right," I smiled, not letting my face betray those thoughts as I wiped away at the tears welling in my own eyes. "Well, guess I'd better be off," I said, sounding a lot more eager to go than I actually felt as I rushed out the door. I would _not_ let Rukia see me cry.

She called out a farewell that I barely heard as I shunpoed toward the First Division office where the ceremony would be held.

I forced myself to slow down as I got closer, my doubts once again getting the better of me. Was I really going to go through with this?

As I reached the path leading to the barracks, I saw something that made my jaw drop to the floor.

Isane Kotetsu, lieutenant of Fourth Division, was wearing a white haori.

To her credit, she didn't blush or stammer as I stared at her in amazement. In a very serious and well rehearsed tone, sounding just like her mentor, she bowed to me and greeted, "Good afternoon, Captain Abarasi-san."

I tried to say something coherent. I stumbled a few times over the word 'Captain' before I gave up and flat out asked her, "What happened to Unohana-san?!"

At this point, she did blush, and I cursed myself as I realized how rude I must have sounded. I would have to find a way to apologize. _You never wanted to be on the bad side of the captain of the healing division!_

"She was called back to Zero Squad. She had only returned here on temporary leave after the old captain left, until a replacement could be trained. She told me last night that I was finally ready to take her place."

All I could say to that was "wow", and Isane nodded sadly in understanding. It was hard to imagine the Gotei Thirteen without the gentle, motherly leader of Fourth Division. Isane would have enormous shoes to fill.

"Despite her assurances, I don't feel I'm ready to be Captain, Abarai-san. I was even considering turning down this promotion."

I nodded casually, but I wasn't quite ready to admit to her that I had had the same misgivings about myself.

"I haven't even achieved bankai. How can I be a Captain without having mastered my zanpakuto?"

"Bah," I spat, waving the matter aside. "Zaraki doesn't have bankai. It didn't stop him."

The lavender-haired woman looked at me worriedly. "I could never do what he did--defeat another Captain with my shikai alone. My battle skills are above-average at best; I was trained for healing, not war."

I had to agree with her that if the promotion depended on a test of her Shinigami skills, she was probably doomed. In some way, though I felt guilty to admit it, that made me feel a little better about my own chances. At least I have bankai. If the old General really wanted to humiliate us with a one-on-one battle, I was sure to last longer than Isane.

That in itself reassured me that there likely wouldn't be any further tests. Yamamoto would have no reason to humiliate Isane. The two of us had already been approved as Captains, and our white haoris were proof.

I began to feel a whole lot better.

"Don't worry about that," I said, surprising myself as I hooked my arm around hers in a friendly manner and began guiding her up the steps to First Division. "After this boring ceremony is over, I can show you a few tricks that helped me learn my bankai."

"Oh, thank you so much, Captain Abarai-san!" she exclaimed, smiling at me gratefully.

"No problem. After all, we new Captains have to stick together."

Isane didn't know it, but her promotion just gave me one more reason to celebrate. Now I just had to hope that the other captains were willing to do me one last favor.

--.--.--.--

Rukia was engrossed in one of the books she had brought back from the mortal world, and hadn't even looked up as I slid the door open softly and came up behind her. As tempted as I was to make a loud noise and see if she would jump to the ceiling, I decided to be kind. I wanted her to remember this day fondly, for it would become as important to her as it was to me.

"If that's you sneaking up behind me, Renji, you can forget trying to spook me. I sensed your reiatsu a mile away."

I smiled inwardly, but mentally stored the information about masking my reiatsu for next time.

"C'mere Rukia, I have something to show you."

She finally turned around and looked up from her book, and her eyes settled in surprise on the object I gripped in my hand. I held it out to her, waiting with bated breath to see if she would take it.

She reached out slowly to touch the small metal plate, tracing the design with her finger. I groaned inwardly, knowing she'd found the one fault in my plan.

"I couldn't get you Thirteenth. Ukitake said he needed Kiyone with him for his treatments."

Rukia nodded slowly, still not saying a word. Her silence was excruciating, and I wondered what I had done to make her so distrustful. Surely this would make her happy?

A part of me began to worry that I might have read her wrong all this time. Maybe she didn't think very highly of me after all, and considered my offer insulting. After all, she would be working directly under me, though I could hardly imagine myself ever pulling rank on her.

"You don't have to accept it if you don't want to," I said lamely, already picturing the reaction of the other captains having to undo all the work they had gone through to do me this 'favor'. Byakuya would skin me alive.

Suddenly she yanked the lieutenant badge out of my hand, narrowing her eyes as if daring me to take it back from her. My heart soared as I saw her fasten the badge proudly to her left arm.

"Don't be an idiot, Captain," she said cheerfully, putting her book away neatly before coming to stand at attention beside me, looking up expectantly. This was a test, I realized. If I was going to be her new captain, just how much freedom would I give her, and how would things stand between us?

"Moron," I replied with a smile. _I'll let her insult me all she wants, as long as I can fight back_. "We've got a lot of work on our hands if we're going to whip that sorry division of ours into shape."

She reached out to touch my white haori, rubbing the silky material between her fingers. The sight of it still surprised me. I had gotten used to its weight, and been able to forget that it was even there.

"Renji?" she asked, a pained look in her eyes. "Do you really think I deserve this?"

I returned her gaze just as deeply.

"Rukia, you told me earlier that you were my best friend. I just wanted you to know that I'll always be _your_ best friend."

With that reply she would have to be satisfied, even if it didn't exactly answer her question. But Rukia smiled anyway.

As we had done years ago as children, we laughed and raced each other home.


	4. Isane's Horror

**P.O.V.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters.

* * *

A chill wind howled like a hungry hollow as it flew down the narrow streets of the Sereitei, sweeping past homes tightly sealed against the cold. Isane Kotetsu bolted into wakefulness with a strangled scream, her body still paralyzed by fear. Long moments passed before her fluttering heart began to find its normal rhythm and her ragged panting slowed.

The sudden bang of wood against stone drew her eyes sharply to the open window, where she noticed that her shutters had become unfastened in the wind. Finding that she could move again, Isane swallowed down the lump in her throat and kicked her legs free of the blankets entangling them. She climbed out of bed and made her way unsteadily towards the window.

A pale moon gleamed down at her, outlining the surrounding barracks of Fourth Division in sharp contrasts of light and shadow. Isane looked away before her imagination had a chance to feed, and blindly reached out to grab both shutters and lock them shut.

Turning back toward her bed, she had a momentary glimpse of the room bathed in total darkness. Suddenly, without her willing it, her eyes shifted perception. Any object in the center of her field of vision became visible by the twinkling of the spirit particles inside.

With a frustrated groan, Isane flung herself back onto the bed and covered her head with a pillow. It would be impossible to fall back asleep now; the flickering glow of spirit particles would light up the room like a thousand tiny candl-

A loud crack startled her awake, and once again, Isane fought down the rush of panic. _It's all right, it was just a nightmare_, she told herself calmly, and yet she couldn't recall just what it was she had been dreaming of. She was surprised she had even managed to fall asleep once the annoying _Quincy Sight_ had kicked in. She wasn't certain how much time had passed since then, but the room was blessedly dark now.

A cold draft alerted her to the open window. Heaving a loud sigh, Isane once again pushed herself out of bed to investigate. The moon was still in the same position, so she couldn't have been asleep for very long. Her brow furrowed as she glanced at the shutters, wondering what could have opened them this time. The wind had died down to almost nothing, and she was certain that she had locked them securely.

She already had both shutters in hand when a flicker of movement outside caused her to freeze in mid-motion. The moonlight had reflected on something--she was sure of it--yet when she looked again, there was nothing there.

Somewhat unsettled, Isane finished closing the window and looked back at her room. The pitch blackness was less comforting now, and a small part of her wished that the special Quincy Sight would return. But as she stared into the darkness, her eyes only accommodated just enough to make out vague shapes in the shadows.

Isane's clammy fingers closed over the flint box she kept on her nightstand as she fumbled to light a candle. The short wick seemed to fizzle each time it was lit, until at last a faint spark settled on the tip of her candle, pulsing weakly.

She sat mesmerized by the sight of the miniature flame as it tugged at her memories...

_**The giant firebird hovered in the air before her, shaking the stands of the Sokyoku with each flap of its mighty wings. Isane tried to cover her ears as it released a piercing cry, but found that her hands were magically bound to the sacrificial stones of the Sokyoku.**_

**This is wrong_, she realized in a panic.... _This wasn't how it had happened.**

_**"Help me!" Isane cried out to the people watching from the ground far below her. Surely someone would quickly realize the mistake and free her. She could even make out the form of her captain among the officers lined up to witness the execution. But Unohana's head was bowed and her eyes were closed, and it didn't appear that she had noticed that her own lieutenant was now hanging in Rukia Kuchki's place. **_

_**Isane struggled fiercely against her bonds, her mind racing. Would that ryoka boy still come to the rescue? Would Captains Kyouraku and Ukitake suddenly appear and shatter the firebird with the Shihouin device?**_

_**She could spot those Captains already down below, but there was no sign of the forbidden artifact. Even her sister was standing in line beside them, her expression grim.**_

_**"Captain!" Isane shouted desperately. But then she remembered--Captain Unohana had already returned to the Royal Dimension. She couldn't be here. In fact, none of this could possibly be real. **_

_**It's a dream. I'm going to wake up now. I'm wakingupImwakingupImwakingu-**_

_**She gasped in pain as the Sokyoku's fiery beak ripped through her soul, and the world exploded in a blaze of light.**_

She was suddenly back in the present, back in her room, and Isane almost wept in relief. She immediately put down the candle, not trusting her shaky hands to catch it if it fell. The memory of being seared alive was still very fresh in her mind.

_It was only dream, and you know those can't hurt you, Isane-san._

She could almost hear Captain Unohana's comforting voice, and yearned for the warmth of her arms or the soothing taste of the tea she always brewed to help Isane sleep. It would sometimes shame Isane how often she would seek the older woman's help, but ever since she had acquired the Quincys's strange vision powers, her dreams had become more vivid and tangible, to the point where she sometimes had trouble distinguishing hallucinations from reality.

Her gaze swept across the room, taking in the sight of recognizable objects that helped reassure her that she was back in the real world. Her eyes then fell on something unfamiliar; or rather, something all _too_ familiar, but which had no business hanging on a stand beside her door.

Without thinking, Isane found herself approaching the snow-white haori; the symbol of her new position. Slowly lifting it off the peg, she draped it over herself like a blanket, nuzzling her face in the silky fabric. A faint scent of peppermint still clung to it, reminding Isane of the small round candies Unohana used to keep in the pockets. Isane closed her eyes and let herself believe for a moment that Unohana was holding her, her bright smile banishing away her fears.

A chill breeze blew suddenly, and Isane's eyes shot open just in time to see the candle flicker out.

The window. She had definitely bolted it shut the last time.

Her blade barely made a sound as she pulled it from its sheath. She pressed her back against the wall and cast a glance at the window outlined in pale moonlight. There was no point in closing it again; if someone had already snuck in, all she would be doing is trapping herself inside with them. But who would want to break into her Division, and why would they take the chance of coming in through the _Captain's_ window? If she had been the target, the assassin would have already made their move. Maybe they were trying to show off their skill, but even so, she couldn't figure out what Fourth could have that would make them a target of interest.

_Not that it makes a difference_, she reminded herself with a sigh, as she slipped uncomfortably into the white haori. As the new captain of Fourth Division, it was her job to make sure the compound was secure.

With growing dread, Isane crept through the door and into the pitch dark hallway. The pounding rhythm of her pulse filled her ears, but Isane paid it no mind, focusing her senses entirely on sensing unfamiliar reiatsu.

She knew that the corridor would first lead her past the critical care patients, who by necessity were housed next to the sleeping quarters of the senior seated officers in case of emergency. The wondrous medical devices invented by Twelfth were also used here, which meant that this area had access to electricity. Isane was reassured in knowing that the artificial lights would not go out as her candle had, and that perhaps in their steady glow, she would catch a glimpse of the intruder.

A sense of wrongness grew inside her as she reached the end of the hallway, only to find the critical care area dark and vacant. _What had happened to the patients? Where was the on-call officer?_

The monitoring equipment was eerily silent, their screens blank and frozen. A flick of the light switch confirmed that the place no longer had any power.

Maybe that was why no one was here. Maybe the staff had moved the patients to a new location. But then why hadn't she been notified?

Fearing that she was losing precious time, Isane ran down the hall, making no attempt at stealth as her footsteps thundered against the wooden planks. A nagging thought made her stop suddenly in her tracks as she faced one of the doors to the patient rooms. Praying that she was wrong, she slid the panel aside.

Empty.

A quick look at the neighboring rooms confirmed that they were all vacant. Had they been taken? Who would have wanted her patients, and why? Why_ all_ of them? And where were the other members of her division?

As tempted as Isane was to call out for help, her instincts told her to keep quiet. Someone was still in the compound, she was sure of it.

Reaching into the pocket of her uniform, she drew out a small pot. Only practiced habit kept her hand steady as she unscrewed the lid and dipped her fingers into the thick ochre liquid. She muttered the incantation under her breath as her hand traced the matching symbols on the floor.

"Cries of flame and darkness, one hundred stars of glory, reaching out--the sky takes flight!"

Green flame erupted along the lines of the diagram, then converged into an arrow that streaked down the corridor, disappearing around a corner. Isane took a deep breath to steel herself, then shunpoed down the hall after the tracer. Her thoughts darkened as she realized where the green line was heading, and her hand raised the zanpakuto in preparation to strike.

The morgue door had been left open. This facility too, was powered by electricity, if only to provide the necessary refrigeration to keep bodies from decomposing before the cause of death could be properly identified. The pale fluorescent lights cast the room in a pale, ghostly glow; their dull buzz breaking the unearthly quiet.

Isane spent only a fraction of a second taking all of this in. Her attention was focused on the reiatsu she had sensed the moment she neared the morgue. The spirit signature was strangely familiar, yet she couldn't place a name or a face to it. Stepping into the room, her eyes darted from side to side, searching for its source. Looking down at the tracer, she realized in surprise that the glowing line continued past the door and up along a wall, ending at the lockers where bodies were stored.

_An odd place to hide_, Isane thought to herself in disgust, yet its ghastly nature would not deter her. Death was a regular part of every Shinigami's job, especially those of Fourth Division, and Isane had long ago come to terms with its horrors.

She tread the ground softly now, not wishing to give her position away. With one hand, Isane reached out to grab the handle of the cabinet door, while the other gripped her zanpakuto, which was angled downward to immediately stab whoever she found lying inside.

With a fierce yell, she yanked the drawer open and slid the board towards her, expecting to see the intruder lying on top of it.

Her sword clattered to the ground as her trembling fingers loosened their grip.

"Not who you were expecting?" the woman asked, staring up at Isane in amusement.

"Impossible," Isane muttered, her harsh breaths steaming in the chill air. She backed up against a wall as the lavender-haired intruder rolled her body out of the cabinet and landed in a crouch on the tiled floor.

"I would have thought you'd already identified me by my reiatsu, child. After all, don't we share the same soul?"

Isane's expression turned from horror to disgust at seeing her own face mirrored in the woman's. No, not a woman, she reminded herself. And despite their resemblance, this replica was conspicuous in how it drew away from the zanpakuto lying on the floor, rather than reach for it to defend herself as Isane longed to do.

"You no longer have any power over me!" Isane cried, her mind racing as she searched for an incantation that might save her. "Besides which, you're dead! Yumichika said so!"

"Yes, I'm sure it appeared that way," the copy frowned. "After all, that cursed Shinigami managed to drain away most of my spiritual power. I have waited many years, Isane-chan, to recover my strength and find a way to repay you for your betrayal. That opportunity might still have been centuries away, except that I found a wonderful little object that someone negligently cast aside in the deserts of Hueco Mundo."

Isane's eyes widened as the intruder drew forth a small purple orb from her robes. Its description was well known to all who had participated in the Winter War, and Isane had no doubt that what she was looking at was the genuine hougyoku, now swirling with pent up reiatsu _despite_ the Substitute's assurances to the Gotei Thirteen that the orb had been broken.

"I could have destroyed you all by now, but I thought it would be more amusing to watch the Sereitei scramble in a panic to try and defend itself. That's why I chose to give you this warning, my little Isane."

The figure then rose to its feet, shedding the image of Isane's body like a molted skin to reveal the real person underneath.

"Use that time wisely, girl," hissed the Shaman, still garbed in his horrible rat fur coat. "And just to make sure you don't later think this was all just a dream, let me give you something."

Before the Twelfth Division captain could think to move, she felt the man's presence suddenly behind her. A pale hand reached out and wrapped itself around her neck, putting her in a choke hold. Military training took over, and Isane reflexively gripped the arm and dropped to one knee, preparing to toss the man over her shoulder. To her surprise, the Shaman's body stayed rooted to the ground, far heavier than she would have imagined him to be. All that she succeeded in doing was turning her head just far enough to see his face, leering back at her.

Like a snake, his head shot forward and buried itself into her exposed throat. She wanted to scream, to kick out at him, to char him into ashes with every kidou she could summon, but it was all useless. Once he had fastened his mouth on her skin, she felt every ounce of her energy being leeched away.

_He won't kill me, he needs me to deliver a message for him_, she tried to assure herself frantically as she felt her consciousness slipping away. She was very cold, and wondered briefly if she might have been wrong and he had killed her anyway.

The crack of wood against stone brought her back to her senses.

Isane was lying in bed. The morning sunlight was pouring out of the open window of the captain's quarters, the shutters ajar and flapping in the cool breeze. Dust motes floated lazily in the air, stirred by the draft, reflecting sunlight like thousands of spirit particles.

Isane moaned and raised the covers over her head. After a few moments of nothing happening, she tentatively peered out from under the sheets and looked out at her room. Her eyes darted nervously to the window. There was movement there, but this time she recognized the voices of her squad, merrily chatting amongst themselves as they made their way to breakfast.

Everything was as it should be.

The Fourth Squad captain buried her hands in her face and almost wept in relief. _It's over, I'm finally awake!_

Never before had her dreams been so horrible, or lasted so long. She couldn't stand another night like the last one. She resolved to have a talk with her sister--or maybe Yumichika--and ask if there was a way for her to break the bond between their souls. Kiyone would probably be hurt or offended, but once she learned what the Quincy Sight was doing to her sister's sanity, she would surely understand.

The prospect of no longer having to face another nightmare bolstered her spirits. She didn't even hesitate as she reached for the captain's haori and draped it around her shoulders.

She caught a flash of herself in the mirror as she passed, and almost laughed. _I probably look ridiculous in this thing_, she thought, but couldn't resist taking a better look.

Isane gasped, her knees buckling under her as she crumpled to the floor.

_I'm awake! _she screamed in her head, unable to accept what she had seen in the mirror.

Yes, she was awake. She was more certain of that than she had been during any of the other scenarios that had played out during her nightmares. Her senses were alive; she could feel her heart racing, her breath catching her her throat. _Her throat...._

She straightened up from the floor so that the mirror came into view; her fingers tentatively reaching up to feel the hole that had formed in the center of her neck. She poked a finger inside, and felt faint as she saw it pierce through to the other side, as if there was nothing there.

_A hollow hole. I have a hollow hole. Right where the Shaman bit me. He said he would give me something to remind me he was really back. Back with the hougyoku._

The emotional side of her fought to keep from crying out hysterically, while the logical part of her mind focused on figuring out how she could still be alive with a hole in the middle of her neck. It wasn't possible; she should be unconscious from the lack of blood supply to her head, or suffocating from her absent windpipe, and yet she felt fine. The only possible explanation was that the rules of the living no longer applied to her. She had become one of the damned; one of the dead.

_No, I'm more than that_, she insisted, clutching at her sword as if seeking reassurance. _I'm still a Shinigami. He didn't take that away from me._

The question was--what else had she become?


	5. Chad's Action

**P.O.V.**

**-Split Second-**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters.

* * *

It was impossible to block them out-- the dust, the blood, the screams of pain. The park had become a war zone. A few ordinary humans had rushed in to see what causing the commotion, but they soon fled for their lives as they spotted metal benches being twisted in half, or saw the gauges in the pavement resembling the tracks of some invisible giant.

The rush of air against his skin came only a split second before the attack, barely giving Chad enough time to leap out of the way. One of the spikes on the hollow's tail managed to scrape against his cheek, and Chad could feel fresh blood welling from the wound, just as it was already spilling from countless others across his body.

"Sado-kun!" screamed Orihime, rushing forward. Chad would have shouted for her to stay back, but she froze regardless, as if realizing on her own that there was nothing she could do. Her face wore a look of confused helplessness, and the hands gripping her overly large zanpakuto slowly lowered the blade to the ground.

Chad still had difficulty digesting the fact that Orihime had become a Shinigami. It wasn't that he thought she was unqualified, for he had the feeling that all of Ichigo's living companions had grown powerful enough to be assured of that fate some day. _Some _day. It troubled him to realize that death had already come for Orihime, and that the fun-loving, carefree girl he once knew was now nothing but a spirit housed in an artificial body. They had failed to protect her.

He found his fingers caressing the small medallion around his neck, a habit he had fallen into whenever he thought about the promises he had made to his grandfather and countless others he was sworn to defend.

Well, he would defend her now, as best he could. There was no one else to do it, as Ichigo had temporarily lost his sword and most of his power when he had transferred them to Orihime. Renji had summoned Rukia to the Soul Society for some kind of meeting, and Uuryu was undergoing more secret Quincy training. They had probably fretted over whether Chad would be okay defending Karakura Town on his own, but no one had actually voiced such doubts out loud. Their trust meant a lot to Chad, and he refused to let them down, even if it killed him.

"Whatssss wrong?" hissed the hollow. "Why won't you let the girl fight? I haven't tassted Shinigami flesssh in quite sssome time."

"You'll have to be satisfied with me instead!" replied Chad, siphoning more spiritual energy into himself in the hopes of drawing its attention away from Orihime. He could see the air around him roil in waves from all the heat his power was generating, yet despite this, Chad could barely maintain enough focus to stand. This fight had already dragged on far too long, and his battered body was stretched to its limits.

The creature's empty sockets turned to stare at him with renewed interest. "You are quite unusssual for a human. Very well, I will sssnack on you first."

The monster moved with blinding speed, snapping its head back as it prepared to impale Chad on its six-foot long fangs. Chad channeled the built up energy into his armored hands, then leapt up just as the hollow fell upon him. He slammed his shield against its face, feeling the fangs shatter, then twisted his body as he fell to take aim at its open mouth. The _cero_ he fired took the thing by surprise, and the force of the attack made the hollow summersault through the air and crash onto its back. It was stunned from the blow, but would not remain helpless for long.

Still, was it safe enough for-?

Orihime was already moving before Chad could shout a warning. She seemed to realize the danger, however, and wasted no time raising her zanpakuto and delivering a fatal slash across its massive neck. The headless body quivered for a long moment, then dispersed in a cloud of spirit particles.

Chad slowly lifted himself up from the ground where he'd fallen, taking deep breaths to steady himself. Orihime came up beside him and looked down at her feet, but not, Chad knew, before taking careful note of every bruise and bloody scrape across his body. He knew that she was blaming herself for his injuries, even if she wasn't the direct cause. It didn't matter that Chad would have fought the hollow even if Orihime wasn't there; the simple fact that she _was_ there but was unable to heal him was enough to make her feel responsible.

He rested his hand on her shoulder and patted it awkwardly. "I'm all right, no need to worry," he tried reassuring her. To make her feel better, he smiled and added in a lighthearted tone, "I'll look better after I've had a shower."

She nodded wordlessly, then slid the oversized sword into the sheath across the small of her back. Chad had wondered why both Ichigo and Orihime had weapons that looked far too big for them to hold, but had refrained from asking. Orihime didn't like discussing her zanpakuto.

Though she had never been much of a warrior in the past, when threatened, she had no shortage of courage and willingness to protect her friends. But something had changed inside Orihime after her death and rebirth. Now, not only was she unable to heal, but she had lost her drive to fight. Chad had seen her instinctively draw out her sword during battle, but once it was in her hands, she would stare at it in confusion. The only thing she seemed capable of doing was using the zanpakuto to finish off an already defeated hollow, purifying it in the Shinigami way to allow its rebirth. Something she had experienced on the Other Side must have shattered her resolve, but Chad and the others refused to pry, knowing that she would tell them when she was ready.

"Awww, man. Am I too late?" asked a shrill voice from above.

Both Orihime and Chad looked up at the surrounding trees in surprise. A shadow suddenly leapt down from the branches and landed beside them.

_"Oh, it's you..." _said the voice's owner in obvious disappointment. Chad could now see that it was a girl around their age, wearing a red jumpsuit with a scabbard across her back, and holding a zanpakuto in her right hand. Chad had no idea who this might be, but Orihime's face lit up in recognition.

"Hiyori-san!"

The stranger, whoever she was, gave Orihime an appraising look. "Well well. It seems that you and Aizen's lackeys finally found what you were looking for, eh?"

Orihime appeared suddenly flustered and threw several glances at Chad, giving him the impression that she wished he wasn't in earshot. Her laugh was a few pitches too high as she muttered in explanation, "Oh well, _you know_...."

"What kind of an answer is that?" Hiyori yelled back, startling Chad, who hadn't expected such a loud voice coming from such a small body. "I came here because I was bored, and I thought I felt a really strong hollow and was expecting to have a good time. But now all I see is you two louts standing here!"

"We defeated the hollow," offered Chad in explanation, hoping it would pacify the strange female. Her yelling was starting to put him on edge, and his head already throbbed painfully.

"I can see that, _dumbass._ And the fact that you defeated it means it couldn't have been all that strong. But I wouldn't have come all this way for something that pathetic!" Hiyori took a long look at Orihime as she seemed reconsider. "I suppose the hollow powers I sensed could have been-"

"Yes, it must have been Sado-kun!" broke in Orihime quickly, giggling nervously as she reached out and grabbed one of Chad's arms. She thrust the armored appendage towards the girl, pointing at the skull on his shield. "See, Chad has hollow-like powers!"

Hiyori frowned as she studied Chad's armor. "I've never heard of this. A human becoming a hollow while he's still alive?"

Chad stiffened reflexively at being called a hollow. It was an aspect of his powers that he was still very uncomfortable with.

"Wait a minute, I _have_ heard about this before. Do you remember what Shinji told the Espada, Orihime?" the strange girl asked, growing excited. "He was talking about ways to gain hollow powers. One way was to get a hollow to graft its powers onto you, and he said he only knew of one other case! He must have been talking about your friend here!"

_Shinji?_ The name sounded familiar. Suddenly Chad remembered the transfer student who had joined their class a few months before the Arrancar War, and who had just as suddenly disappeared. The new kid had always been hanging around Ichigo, and Ichigo had later warned his friends that Shinji wasn't what he seemed, and that they should stay away from him. Nevertheless, at the time, Chad had spotted Shinji watching him on several occasions. If that boy was actually a visitor from Soul Society, it stood to reason this girl--Hiyori--was too. Did they know something about Chad's powers?

"How did this happen to me?" he confronted the pig-tailed girl, surprised at how angry--or was it scared?--he suddenly felt.

"Tchh, how should I know?" she replied, rolling her eyes at him. "Do you have any hollow_ friends?_ Any that you saved, who then promised you a favor?"

Chad opened his mouth to angrily inform her that he did not associate with hollows, but paused as he realized that that wasn't exactly true. There had been arrancar in Hueco Mundo who had allied themselves with Ichigo and his friends. Ichigo himself was now part-hollow, as Chad understood things. But those encounters and Ichigo's strange mask had happened _after_ Chad's powers had already appeared.

"No," he replied gruffly. Hiyori looked disappointed, and Chad suddenly had a suspicion that she had been trying to bait him into insulting hollows on purpose. Could she be part-hollow as well? Chad reached out his senses, and felt a familiar resonance echo back at him. The girl seemed to feel it too, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"I cannot think who would have wanted to gift me with these powers," he grumbled, unable to mask the frustration he felt.

"Are you sure they meant it as a gift?"

Chad wondered if she was taunting him again, but this time her expression was serious.

"Without these powers, I cannot protect people from hollows. Even if it makes me a monster as well, I will continue to use them to uphold the promise I made to my _abuelo_-"

The realization came in an instant. His grandfather was dead. What if he had stayed behind to watch over Chad, and been taken by a hollow? Orihime had told them how something similar had happened to her brother, Sora. And it was after her brother had come to her as a hollow that Orihime had found her powers.

Chad reached under his shirt to lift out the golden medallion his _abuelo_ had given him. His hand was shaking uncontrollably. Was this the link to his grandfather's soul?

As if reading his thoughts, Hiyori nodded the moment she saw the medallion. "Someone was watching over you. They stayed behind and attached themselves to you, instead of passing on. You can see the marks here and here-" she said, pointing at scuff marks in the metal that Chad had never noticed before, "-where a soul chain was attached to it."

Orihime's eyes widened. "A soul chain was attached to Chad's medallion? But we never saw anything! And what happened to the soul?"

Hiyori snorted. "Maybe you can see souls now, but I bet you couldn't always. The soul chain must have become attached and then severed before any of you were skilled enough to detect it. The spirit was probably attacked by a passing hollow, then became one itself. Maybe there was still a strong connection between you two, or maybe something else happened, but it seems you're able to tap into its hollow powers." The girl looked suddenly uncomfortable, and shifted her gaze downward.

"Living humans becoming hollows and Shinigami. Shinigami becoming Vizard, and hollows becoming Arrancar. The boundaries are all breaking down," she muttered darkly.

"What about the Quincy?" asked Orihime after Hiyori had grown quiet and thoughtful. To their surprise, the question seemed to annoy her.

"Why do you care about the Quincy?" she asked, looking at them suspiciously. "There's nothing special about them! Just a bunch of prissy stuck up humans who think they're better than everyone because they can control reiatsu. Don't tell me you're a Quincy fan, like that maniac Kurotsuchi!"

"Hey, we have a friend who's a Quincy!" protested Orihime hotly. "And it's because of that nasty Captain Kurotsuchi that he and his father are the only two of their kind left!"

Hiyori appeared shocked by this revelation, but then made it clear that it was not the fate of the Quincy that bothered her.

"They made that maniac a _captain_? What the hell! Oh, I'll have more than one matter to bring up with Captain Urahara then, that's for sure!"

"_Captain_ Urahara?" repeated Chad in surprise.

He saw the girl flinch, then she angrily cried out, "Force of habit, okay! I don't owe that dork anything! Ugh, you two are so annoying!" So saying, she leapt back up into the treetops and disappeared.

Chad shook his head in bewilderment. "So, uh... who exactly was that?"

Orihime wrung her fingers nervously. As she was about to answer, they heard Hiyori's voice call out from the darkness.

"Hey Orihime! If you really did ditch those Arrancar, I'll talk to Shinji about letting you pass the barrier again. After all, you're one of us, now. Make sure you and Ichigo come and visit us soon!"

Chad quirked an eyebrow at Orihime, but already knew from her odd behavior all evening that he wasn't going to get an explanation. He shrugged, letting her know he wasn't going to give her a hard time over it. After tonight, he had enough problems of his own to mull over.

"Let's go home and get some rest."

* * *

His apartment was small, but he had never needed much room for just himself. There was a guitar and an old basketball leaning against the wall, and a few picture frames of family members still living back in Mexico. As for furniture, he had a small television set someone had given away, a worn futon, and a dusty coffee table.

Orihime looked guiltily down at the blankets Chad had laid out for himself on the floor. He had offered her the futon as a place to sleep.

"Sado-kun, are you sure we need to keep doing this? There haven't been any hollows coming after me since I returned from Hueco Mundo. I'll probably be okay on my own."

She was right about one thing, there had been very few hollow sightings lately, and none of them had been after Orihime despite her bright flare of spiritual power. They had come across tonight's hollow by chance, hearing its angry howling as they passed the park after school. Still, Chad couldn't take chances, especially when he was the only protection his friend had at the moment.

"I know you'd feel more comfortable in your old apartment, Orihime, but we shouldn't take the risk. I'm not very fast, and if something happened to you, I might not get there in time."

The look of guilt on her face only deepened. "Sado-kun, I'll be okay. I know you think I can't defend myself, but I... I have ways."

Chad grunted in acknowledgement. "I know, you're a Shinigami. But Orihime, even Ichigo needed training. Maybe Urahara can help you learn to use your zanpakuto."

Orihime flinched at the mention of Urahara's name, then quickly shook her head. "No, I don't need a sword. I still have my shield."

He sighed, knowing there was no point in pushing her. Orihime simply wasn't a fighter. She would fit in well with the Shinigami of the Fourth Division, especially if they could teach her new ways to heal. The only problem was that Orihime refused to go to Soul Society. She told her her friends that she was worried that the Shinigami wouldn't let her return to see them. Remembering how Rukia's freedom had been restricted in the past, Chad supposed he couldn't blame Orihime for her concern, but he wished there was another way for her to get the training she needed. She was also adamantly refusing to see Urahara, despite the shopkeeper's occasional visits. The old man had dropped off a gigai for her at his last visit, and Orihime had thanked him profusely and apologetically through a closed apartment door.

Chad lay himself down and wrapped the blankets around his body, then rolled his back towards Orihime to give her some privacy. He was a little surprised that she never brought up the questionable appropriateness of them sharing his apartment. She didn't seem that bothered by it at all, and it was usually_ he_ who would feel modest and offer to use the restroom when it was time to get dressed.

Now that it was quiet, his thoughts automatically focused on the matter that had bothered him every since they had spoken to that stranger. Was she right about his powers coming directly from a hollow? It made a twisted sort of sense; his hollow-like abilities were borrowed from a hollow, the same way Ichigo's Shinigami powers had initially been borrowed from Rukia. But what if the hollow had actually been his grandfather? It hurt Chad deeply to think that the man had put his soul at risk by anchoring it to his grandson, ultimately falling prey to a hollow and becoming one himself. Could Chad have prevented it from happening if he had only learned to see spirits in time?

Was his _abeulo's_ spirit still alive, or was he among the many hollows that Ichigo--or even Chad himself--had killed? Chad hoped that the fact that he still had his powers meant that their source was still out there, somewhere. But that presented him with a whole new set of problems, because if his grandfather was still in hollow form, it was Chad's duty to purify his corrupted soul. Yet after doing so, would Chad lose his powers and no longer be able to protect those he cared about?

_I'm sorry, abuelo, but you will have to wait a little longer. I swear I will find you and save you once I know Orihime has other protection._

Since she refused to seek out the help of Urahara or his staff, Chad wondered if he should try to contact Uuryu and bring Orihime to him, even if it interrupted his training. Would it be considered selfish of him to hand his responsibility over to another, given that it was been understood that Chad would be around to protect the town? In addition, Uuryu had a deep seated hatred of Shinigami, and only barely tolerated working with Ichigo. Would these feelings now extend to Orihime as well? Would she really be safe with the Quincy?

"You want to go find him, don't you?"

Chad's eyes widened in both guilt and surprise. He turned his body to look at Orihime, and saw that she was still wide awake, sitting up on the futon and watching him.

Despite how she usually acted, Orihime was actually quite intelligent and intuitive. She seemed to be even more so after her death, as if she had traded her usual bubbly enthusiasm and charisma for a serious, levelheaded personality. People often misjudged Chad as well, assuming he was a slow thinker because of his size, but his friends knew better. Orihime waited patiently for his answer, knowing that he had understood her question perfectly.

"I want to help my grandfather, yes. But that can wait. Right now I have a duty to protect Karakura Town while Ichigo is recovering and the others are away."

"The Soul Society has Shinigami watching this town," Orihime reminded him. "There have been so few hollows leaving Hueco Mundo since the war ended that they probably don't need any extra help handling them."

Chad clenched his fists, pulled by shifting temptation and frustration. _If only it were that simple._

"I told you, Sado-kun, I can take care of myself. You don't need to protect me."

He wished he could be sure. "If you could stay with Urahara-" The look of fear that flashed across her face made him drop that suggestion. Again, he wondered what it was about the old man that made her so afraid.

"Sado-kun," Orihime said softly, staring miserably at the ground. "If I could show you that I can fight, would you be able to leave me here and look for your grandfather?"

He wondered what she was driving at. He had seen her try to wield her large zanpakuto before, only to fail. It probably had to do with her training, or lack thereof, and if she would only agree to get some help he might feel better about leaving her alone. But as she was-

A large shadow emanating hollow reiatsu loomed suddenly over him, and Chad instinctively dove for cover. He rolled to a stop behind the futon, then cautiously poked his head over it to get a good look at what he was facing. From the corner of his eye, he noted Orihime's body slumped against the couch, unmoving, and felt instant concern that whoever this intruder was, they had already attacked her. His attention was then drawn to the giant standing over her, gripping Orihime's zanpakuto.

"I thought you were dead," growled Chad, recognizing the Espada from the piece of jawbone covering his chin.

"Heh, funny. I would have said the same about you," grinned the dark giant, drawing closer. "I remember almost crushing you to death with my bare hands."

Chad was not famous for his speed, but even so, he figured he could move quicker than the large arrancar, especially in the close quarters of his apartment. He reached over and hoisted Orihime onto his shoulder, then dodged past the giant and leapt towards the window. He summoned his shield arm to protect his face and Orihime as the glass shattered against his body.

Even the jar from the impact of their fall did not wake Orihime. Chad looked down the alley where they had landed to see if he could find a safe place to put her down, but he was worried that the Espada might still go after her. At least her body wasn't very heavy, but still--carrying her would drastically limit his fighting ability.

Chad looked up in time to see the arrancar leap out of the window and fly directly at them, his fists outstretched and ready to knock Chad to the ground. His mind working fast, Chad braced his feet against the pavement and raised his offensive arm at the enemy, summoning all the energy he could muster into a cero in the hopes that it would knock the hollow back. The giant's eyes seemed to widen as he saw the collection of dark energy, and with blinding swiftness that surprised Chad, managed to dodge the blast.

He could hear the frightened shouts of his neighbors as they were awakened by the sound. Although Chad had tried to aim the attack high, it still managed to graze the top of his apartment, tearing a gaping hole in the ceiling. He was less concerned with the damage than the possibility of people coming outside to investigate and getting in harm's way. He would have to take this fight elsewhere, and quickly.

Still holding Orihime tightly with one arm, Chad pumped his legs as hard as he could, racing down the alley. He couldn't manipulate spiritual energy to help him jump like Ichigo or Uuryu, but he could still use built up momentum to propel his body upwards. Like a coiled spring, he leaped into the air and landed on a second story balcony, then used the strength of his armored hands to grip the roof and pull his body on top.

The hollow was already there, waiting for him. The zanpakuto flew towards Chad with enough force to sever his head from his shoulders. The attack came as a surprise, and Chad knew he would not be able to dodge in time. He ducked anyway, his instincts taking over, and watched in surprise as the blade seemed to pause in midair, giving him the split second he needed to maneuver out of the way.

The hollow growled in anger and came at him again, as if determined to make up for its moment of hesitation. Still encumbered by Orihime's limp body, Chad decided to try a risky move, and rushed to meet the arrancar head on, hoping he could tackle the creature and make his escape. Once again, the arrancar made an unexpected maneuver and leapt into the air to avoid his charge. Chad did not spare a backwards look to see if the hollow was still following. He continued to race across the rooftops, jumping from building to building, hoping to reach an open area where he wouldn't have to worry about innocents getting caught in the crossfire.

Then he spotted it--the park! He briefly wondered if the strange girl from earlier would show up to help them. Chad needed someone else watching over Orihime while he fought. He couldn't allow her to be kidnapped again to Hueco Mundo, if that was indeed the Espada's plan.

He leapt off the final building and hit the ground running, pouring all his strength into his legs. Before long, he found himself amongst the trees, with cover from the forest on all sides. Hoping that this arrancar wasn't particularly good at sensing reiatsu, he paused to catch his breath, putting down Orihime's body to look for any signs of injury. Feeling for a pulse, he was at first surprised to find none, before he suddenly remembered that it was a gigai.

The arrancar was upon him in a second, swinging his large sword at Chad's exposed back. Chad spun and brought up his shield arm just in time, slamming it hard against the weapon in a shower of sparks. Chad didn't understand how the hollow had managed to sneak up on them, considering it massive size, until he saw it dodging his blows by weaving through the tree trunks as if the forest wasn't even there.

_He's faster than he looks, and more agile,_ Chad admitted to himself. He should have known better than to make assumptions based only on the hollow's size. People had been making such false assumptions about _him_ all his life, especially when it came to his intelligence. Chad could feel his body tensing, eager to fight back, but he forced himself to hold back and think things through. There was more amiss here than just the arrancar's speed.

Suddenly, he had the answer. As hard as it was to believe, it was the only possible explanation.

"Orihime?" Chad called out, looking everywhere except at the gigai lying on the ground. The arrancar made a sound of disgust, then launched itself at Chad, thrusting the sword forward as if to skewer him. Now that Chad knew what to look for, he noticed that the arrancar's body seemed almost to lag behind the attack, as if it was merely holding onto the moving weapon instead of directing it. Chad ignored the hollow completely, focusing only on the zanpakuto. Instead of dodging aside, which he knew it expected him to do, Chad grabbed onto the blade with both armored hands, stopping the attack in midair. The hollow looked at him in surprise, then used its free arm to swing at him. Chad let the punch hit him, and was relieved to feel nothing as the hand passed right through him.

He had guessed correctly.

"What gave me away?" growled the arrancar.

Chad was glad he had been right, but until he knew for certain who was in control, he kept both hands on the blade. "You're too fast," he pointed out. "If you're going to pretend to be that size, you have to take your mass and the objects around you into account. And if you really had that kind of speed, I would never have been able to dodge or defend myself all those times you came at me."

"Orihime didn't want you harmed."

The girl in question finally appeared from behind a tree, her spirit clothed in Shinigami garb. She gave a curt nod at the arrancar, and its form dissolved into mist, reabsorbing itself into the zanpakuto. Now that there was nothing holding the large weapon up, Chad changed his grip on it and presented the handle back to its owner. She accepted it with a sad smile.

"What was all that about, Orihime? Why did you attack me?"

The girl stared down at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sado-kun. I only wanted to show you that I wasn't helpless. I want you to be able to find your grandfather, instead of staying behind to watch over me."

Chad scratched his head awkwardly, not knowing what to say. "That arrancar that I fought--it was the spirit of your zanpakuto?" He had heard of such a thing from Ichigo, who had said that manifesting his sword's spirit was the first step to achieving the stage known as bankai. Could that mean that Orihime was also close to learning the deadly form, despite her seeming lack of knowledge in swordplay?

His friend nodded, looking miserable. "I'm not very good at using my zanpakuto. Yammy...well, that's not really his name, but he won't tell me his name yet--he said he could fight for me. I thought that was safer than letting my h-...." Orihime cut her words off quickly, but the look of panic on her face showed that she had already said too much.

"Safer than what, Orihime?" Chad asked, refusing to allow her to keep any more secrets from him, knowing now how dangerous they could be. But he already had a hunch about her answer.

"My...my hollow," she confided, breaking into tears.

Chad stared at his friend, at a loss for words. He could hardly condemn her; after all, he was part hollow himself. The news did not even shock him, and he realized that when he had reached out to sense the hollow in Hiyori's reiatsu earlier that evening, he had sensed a similar dark taint coming from Orihime. He had ignored the significance at the time, but his subconscious mind had already put two and two together.

What actually surprised him now was seeing Orihime cry. Deep down, he actually felt a guilty relief that she was showing emotions again. Ever since his friend had returned from Hueco Mundo, she had seemed a different person. It was as if an integral part of who Orihime was had vanished, leaving behind a cold, heartless shell.

_Lifeless like a gigai,_ Chad thought, his eyes falling upon the artificial body leaning against the tree, and cursing the fact that Orihime now needed one. An important part of her truly_ was _gone forever. And yet--sensing the hollow energy inside his friend--Chad realized that something _else_ had been put inside her, as if to replace what was taken. Was the hollow the reason she had been acting so coldly? Did the fact that she was showing emotion again mean that the real Orihime was in now control, and that the hollow had been suppressing her spirit all this time?

Yet hollows were known for their deception. What if today's events had been part of some game, or some plot to deceive him? He wished Ichigo were around to help him tell the difference. Chad had no personal experience dealing with inner hollows; his own had never chosen to manifest itself.

What should he do? If he demanded that they tell Ichigo and the others about her hollow, the creature might take over in self-defense and attack him. He wasn't personally afraid for his own safety, but he didn't want any harm to come to Orihime. And if her hollow turned out to be as strong as Ichigo's, there was no telling what kind of destruction it would cause to Karakura Town.

He chose his next words carefully, aware that it could be Orihime's hollow he was speaking to.

"Orihime, you understand that this hollow is dangerous. What do you suggest we should do?"

There was desperation in her large brown eyes as she grabbed hold of his arm and pleaded with him. "Sado-kun, please don't tell anyone! I promise I won't let the hollow out. I'll keep it hidden."

Chad shook his head. "Ichigo thought he could hide it too. Remember how long it took for him to tell us about his mask? Now we know what to look for, Orihime. The others will know the signs. You can't hide this from them. Back when we were preparing to rescue you from the Espada, he took us aside and explained what might happen if his hollow took control. He wasn't worried about the damage it could cause in Hueco Mundo since it's a wasteland anyway, but it's too great a risk to let loose in our world."

There was a sudden glimmer in Orihime's eye, and Chad's heart sank as he realized what she was about to suggest.

"Take me with you to Hueco Mundo. Then you won't need to worry about leaving me behind without protection, and if my hollow does get free, I won't be able to harm anyone."

Chad was about to protest, when he realized that it really was their best option. If he brought her to Hueco Mundo, he could still search for his grandfather and keep a close watch on his friend at the same time. The only problem was, how were they going to explain all of this to the others? He voiced the question to Orihime.

"Leave that to me!" she replied with a salute, looking like her old goofy self now that she knew Chad wasn't going to stop her. It was almost strange seeing her act like Orihime again.

_Who are you, really? _Chad wondered. But that question he kept to himself.


	6. Yoruichi's Mystery

**P.O.V.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters.

* * *

Yoruichi watched and waited; hidden in the dark cavern that was the gateway to the Maggot's Nest. She was not in the best of moods; partially due to the nature of the mission that forced her to return to the Soul Society, and partially due to the itch in her skin from being so close to a prison built of sekki-seki stone. But mostly... because she was bored out of her mind. It was tradition for the Captain of the Second Division to investigate the Nest at some point during her daily rounds, but not Yoruichi had no idea when that might be. Thus, she was stuck waiting there until Soi Fon decided to make an appearance.

She considered the riskier option of stalking her old subordinate and trying to get her attention without giving herself away to the rest of the division, who probably had orders to arrest her on sight. It was somewhat ironic, Yoruichi realized, that she had chosen this particular hiding spot, as it would be the place she would get banished to if she was ever caught. Of course, it was also the last place anyone would ever think of looking for her. Not that Yoruichi actually needed help keeping off the Twelfth Division's radar, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to camp herself next to some reiatsu-jamming sekki-seki stone.

At long last, she heard the heavy doors of the prison swing open, and was momentarily blinded as the bright light from outside washed over the cavern. She quickly shifted into feline form and slipped behind the stalagmites, concealing herself.

Soi Fon was not alone. Yoruichi's sensitive nose caught the strong musky cologne that Lieutenant Omaeda liked to wear, and a moment later she heard the crackle of a foil bag being opened. She peeked her head around the stones to get a better look.

When the pair were about halfway down the stairs, Yoruichi made a soft meowing sound, wondering if it was loud enough to be heard over the noise of Omaeda munching on his snacks. To her relief, Soi Fon froze in her tracks immediately, while the fat man beside her kept walking down, engrossed in his eating.

In a flat voice, the captain called to him, "Omaeda, I want you to return to Division Headquarters. I will finish the rounds alone."

The large man paused and looked over his shoulder at her in surprise. "B-but Captain, this place is dangerous! It doesn't feel right to leave you alone here, especially without your zanpakuto."

In the blink of an eye, Soi Fon had somehow locked her short legs around Omaeda's rather impressive waist and twisted her body, launching him across the room to crash against the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

"Idiot!" she seethed, not even short of breath. "Are you implying that one of these wretches actually has a shot at harming me? Now hurry back before you waste any more of my time."

He winced after righting himself, rubbing the back of his head. Omaeda threw a miserable glare at the Captain, but wisely said nothing as he ran past her and pushed his way out the door.

Yoruichi waited a few moments to be sure he had left, then shifted back to human shape and began putting on the clothes she had brought with her. She made no effort at being quiet, and Soi Fon waited politely for her to finish before she approached.

"You really are too hard on him. It's amazing he's remained loyal."

Soi Fon sniffed loudly in disagreement. "You should never show weakness to your subordinates, or let them grow attached to you. They need to learn to trust only in themselves. Relying on others will only lead to disappointment."

Yoruichi flinched inwardly, knowing that part of that comment could be directed at her.

"So what brings you back to the Soul Society?" Soi Fon asked, her vice tinged with anticipation.

Yoruichi grimaced. "Kisuke's found something he wants me to investigate. It shouldn't take too long, but I might be camping out here between excursions. I thought it only fair to let you know."

Soi Fon stared at her for a long moment, and Yoruichi could almost see her inner struggle, trying to balance her need for answers against the chance of appearing too curious and risking her idol's disapproval. Yoruichi would have laughed if she hadn't been so concerned that her pupil would take it the wrong way. Instead, she threw her an apologetic grin.

"I'm afraid I have very little information at the moment. More questions than answers, really."

The Captain seemed to hesitate a moment, then released a frustrated sigh. "You'll come to me afterwards and share what you've found?"

"Of course."

"It's just... I- it's my duty to know about anything that threatens the security of Soul Society," Soi Fon explained lamely.

Yoruichi nodded. "It's too early to say if my investigation will turn up anything worthwhile, but I'll let you know. My first stop is the Twelfth Division."

Soi Fon looked disgusted. "That one. Be careful over there, Yoruichi-sama. Mayuri used to be one of the prisoners of the Nest, before he became Captain."

Yoruichi grinned and cocked her head at the younger woman. "I remember. I was still Captain at the time."

If possible, Soi Fon looked even more uncomfortable. "Y-you know... you could always return to reclaim your place here," the woman stammered. "I don't think anyone ever expected my promotion to be permanent. It's like they knew...they expected that you would come back some day."

"My family still has high hopes, I'm sure," she drawled. "But things have changed, Soi Fon, as I'm sure you know. I don't think we can ever go back to being what we were."

"I asked the Commander-General, after you left, if there was any way you could return," Soi Fon persisted, not willing to let the matter drop. "He said that the banishment of the Vizards was entirely the decision of the Central Forty-six, and that he had had tried to argue on your behalf but failed to sway them. Now that the government has been disbanded, Captain Yamamoto is in charge. If he knew you were here, I'm sure he would take you back into the Gotei Thirteen."

Yoruichi shook her head, though she was actually very touched by the other woman's efforts. "My leaving only _partially_ had to do with following Kisuke into exile. If I returned, I'd have other things to answer for, and I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to do that." Noticing her friend's crestfallen look, Yoruichi patted her shoulder sympathetically.

"Chin up, Captain. You're a credit to the Gotei Thirteen; more than I ever was." With a practiced flip and a burst of shunpo speed, Yoruichi was already at the top of the stairs. She turned to wave at the small figure watching far below, sparing them both the awkwardness of saying goodbye.

* * *

Yoruichi sat balanced upon the rafters of the Twelfth Division Research Office, watching from above as the lower seated officers shuffled around, collecting and organizing data. At long last, Captain Kurotsuchi made an appearance, and everyone hurriedly found an excuse to be elsewhere. She chuckled in bitter humor that even those who were disturbed enough to _want_ to work with that man were still deathly afraid of him.

When they had all vanished, Yoruichi leapt down and landed just as smoothly as she would have in cat form. She almost wished the scientist had spotted her performance, but his back remained turned and his attention focused on the monitors in front of him. In fact, if the alarms hadn't sounded and the doors to the room _whooshed _shut the moment Yoruichi's feet touched the ground, she doubted he would have even noticed she was there.

"Intruder!" he growled, spinning around to face her. The disbelief on his face when he recognized her lasted only moments--his expression quickly turning to one of rage.

"How did you get past my security system!?"

"I'm the 'Goddess of Shunpo', remember? I merely slipped past the sensors before they could go off."

"Impossible!"

Yoruichi wondered why he seemed more concerned with his security system than her actual presence in his office. "How about we skip the _how_ and just come straight to_ why I'm here,_" she suggested, hoping to get the interview finished as quickly as possible.

Mayrui grinned, displaying his perfectly white teeth. "My dear, I'm a scientist. For me, it's only the_ how_ that matters."

"Captain, is everything okay?" asked a frantic voice over the intercom.

Mayuri's lips curled up in a sinister smile. Yoruichi's body lowered automatically into a crouch, preparing to defend herself or run the hell out of there if necessary. The scientist pressed a button on the wall and answered, "It's all right. Though I may shortly need assistance carrying a body back to the lab."

"Yes sir!" came the eager reply.

Youruichi grimaced. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm not that easy to capture."

Mayuri seemed pleased by her reaction, but quickly waved his hand as if to reassure her. "No need to concern yourself; I simply said that to let them know that things were under control. If I hadn't, they would still be trying to break through the barriers to this room. I could only assume that you went to all this trouble because you wanted to speak with me in private."

Yoruichi grunted in agreement, but she still kept her guard up. It was possible that he was telling the truth. Then again, she had grown accustomed to using coded messages in the Stealth Division, and it was possible that Kisuke had passed on that tradition to the Twelfth when he moved there. For all she knew, Mayuri had just told his men to toss a grenade into the room.

"I'm only here as a messenger. Urahara is requesting your assistance."

"Is he, now? Very interesting. Of course, I no longer owe that man my allegiance, considering he is a fugitive of the Seretei. Just as _you _are."

"So obviously if I'm taking this risk, it must be important," Yoruichi replied through gritted teeth, wishing the scientist would stop toying with her. Cutting to the chase, she explained, "He's discovered multiple small areas in the human world that have been completely drained of all spiritual energy."

"More than likely it's the work of one of the hollows Aizen created," Mayuri shrugged, clearly uninterested in the information. "There have been reports of several similar incidents."

"That's why we had it checked. Our sources confirmed that the power signature of whoever did this is neither hollow, nor Shinigami."

The Captain of Twelfth Division immediately caught the significance of that statement. "A Quincy? Is that why Urahara wanted my help?" Mayuri scratched at the instrument on the tip of his chin in puzzlement. "But why come to me? You have Quincy associates, do you not? Ask _them_."

Yoruichi sighed in frustration. "The Quincy we know aren't the type to do this sort of thing. Besides which, we've been able to trace their whereabouts, and neither have been anywhere near the areas in question. In addition, they don't have a liking for Shinigami--thanks to _you_--so we don't anticipate their cooperation with our investigation."

"So you came to me. I see..." drawled the scientist with a smile. "And what exactly can I do for you?"

"He needs your Quincy reiatsu sensor."

Mayuri's eyebrows shot up. This was the tricky part of her plan, for the Captain of the Research Division had never actually claimed to have made such a thing. In fact, the Central Forty-six had turned a blind eye on most of Mayuri's experiments, knowing that his inventions usually gave them a military advantage. But certain operations--such as the extermination of the Quincy--were not held in favor by most of the Sereitei. Mayuri's contributions to that effort were not widely publicized, or there could have been enough of a public outcry to cost him his Captainship. At the moment, Yoruichi was hoping that he valued his pride as a scientists more than his military rank.

"Urahara assumed you must have come up with one, given your success in hunting down the Quincy," she explained, but quick added, "it's all right if you don't _actually_ have one. I told Urahara that you were unlikely to have created anything that he hadn't been able to make himself."

Mayuri fumed. "I'll have you know that I _do _have one. In fact, I created it _ages_ ago."

"You'll have to show me if you expect me to report that to Urahara."

Mayuri grumbled and took out a remote device from his sleeve. With a click of the switch, the monitors in the room all began displaying the same image--a flattened map of the Earth. With a second command from the remote, a small blinking blue light appeared over one of the islands along the eastern continent. Mayuri made a waving motion with his hand, and the screen zoomed to cover just the island. At this resolution, it became clear that the blue light was actually two markers that were nearly superimposed.

"This is the mortal world. As you can see, these are only two Quincy spirit signatures that were picked up by my sensor."

Yoruichi looked doubtful. "Surely this can't be it? Even if you did wipe out the others, some of them must have been reincarnated by now. Their souls can't all be here in Soul Society."

Captain Kurotsuchi rolled his eyes at her. "My sensor is sophisticated enough to only pick up the energy of souls that have been trained to use Quincy spiritual techniques. I care nothing about those merely born with the potential, but no actual training."

"_Something_ drained those areas of spiritual power," Yoruichi mused. "If it wasn't a Quincy in the mortal world, then it must be one here. Re-orient your sensor to the Sereitei."

She blinked in surprise as the screens suddenly all turned blank. She turned to find Mayuri glaring at her with his arms folded out in front of him.

"You've seen enough already."

Immediately suspicious, she challenged, "why are you being so unhelpful all of a sudden? Surely it isn't that much extra work. You're supposed to have the Sereitei under surveillance at all times."

"The sensors are not fixed on the Sereitei precisely because there is _no point_ in doing so," Mayuri explained in an irritated voice. "A Quincy soul works differently than a normal soul; it draws reiatsu from without, not from within. Having no spiritual power of its own, a Quincy soul that is brought here is incapable of becoming a Shinigami. Therefore, there is no point in searching for one in the Sereitei. I refuse to waste more of my valuable time on this matter."

"Then search the rukongai!" Yoruichi insisted. "Just because they aren't a Shinigami doesn't mean they're powerless!"

"I just told you that a soul with Quincy potential is worthless if not properly trained!" shot back the scientist. "When a soul is brought here upon death, it quickly forgets what in knew in life. The Quincies that were killed have all forgotten who they were, and lost their ability to use Quincy powers. Therefore, the one you are looking for cannot be among them!"

Yoruichi had to admit that he had a point. Before she could come up with a counter-argument, Kurotsuchi had pressed a button on the remote and motioned her towards the now open doorway.

"This meeting is over. I am far too busy to deal with Urahara's wild speculations. Go now, before I let my subordinates catch you."

She couldn't shake the feeling that there was still something that he was hiding from her; some truth that she was on the verge of seeing. His rush to end their discussion proved it. But Yoruichi knew that now was not the time to press her luck.

"Thank you," she said simply, and flash-stepped out of sight.

* * *

"So Kurotsuchi was less than helpful. I can't say that I'm surprised."

"Actually, I got more out of him than I expected," Yoruichi admitted to the white-haired captain sitting across from her. "I just wish he would have been willing to test out all of Urahara's theories. They're both scientists; you would think they both enjoyed figuring out a mystery."

"I admit, the way that man's mind works has always been a _mystery_ to me," remarked Ukitake dryly. "But then, the same could be said for Urahara."

A tray of tea was lowered onto the table between them. Yoruichi looked up at smiled at the new lieutenant as she served them.

"Congratulations on your promotion. And your sister's."

Kiyone Kotetsu blushed and bowed low to her. "Thank you."

Yoruichi inspected the girl as she sipped at her tea. Her spiritual power was not quite lieutenant level; in fact, it was barely third-seat at best. There must have been something else about Kiyone that had impressed her Captain enough to promote her this far. Or perhaps the war had left too many empty positions, and the Gotei was rushing to fill them to keep things running smoothly. Yoruichi forced herself to dismiss the matter; after all, the Sereitei's business didn't concern her now, and her old squad was still in good hands.

"So you suspect the one you're after is a Quincy?"

"Oops, s-sorry Captain," stammered Kiyone, having accidentally tipped over his cup as she poured. Yoruichi would have thought nothing of it, except that she noticed a long look pass between the lieutenant and captain. Did these two know something?

"That's the current theory," Yoruichi nodded, pretending not to have noticed. "There were no hollow energy signatures detected at the sites. And there are no kidou spells--except for the one that creates the King's Key--that can leech away reiatsu like that."

The older Captain grunted unhappily. "I don't like hearing words like "hollow" and "King's Key" in the same sentence. It also brings to mind the hyogyoku."

"Yes, we thought about that too," Yoruichi admitted. "But Ichigo assured us that Aizen had destroyed its power when he tried to make the Key."

"Did Ichigo bring it back with him?"

"No. He gave it to Grimmjow, an arrancar ally who now rules over Las Noches."

"And he is trustworthy?"

Yoruichi knew that it was still difficult for some of the older captains to accept that certain hollows could control their appetites and become worthy allies. Those prejudices were the cause of rifts that still existed between the Gotei Thirteen, the Vizards, and Ichigo and his friends, herself included.

"I'm not criticizing your judgment of people," Ukitake quickly amended. "But a hollow's priorities are not necessarily the same as ours, as well-intending as they might seem. A Shinigami lives by rules and responsibilities, and can be counted on to behave within those boundaries."

"Yes, I remember," said Yoruichi with a bitter smile. Ukitake lowered his eyes in apology, thinking that she had just chastised him for forgetting that she was once a Shinigami Captain. But in truth, she was smiling in irony at how unpleasant those 'rules and responsibilities' had been for her, and how pleased she now was to be free of them.

"For the sake of argument, let's ignore the small chance that the hyogyoku has been stolen and repaired," continued Yoruichi, broaching the matter that she knew Ukitake was really driving at. "We are left with the possibility that this is the work of a Quincy. They have reason enough to hate Shinigami. But what I can't figure out is the purpose of draining all those areas of reiatsu. Is it meant as a show of power, or a warning?"

Ukitake spoke slowly as he pondered the matter, staring deeply into his cup. "It sounds more like they were trying _not_ to be discovered, by draining several small areas instead of one large one. Maybe they didn't know we had the technology to detect even such minor changes. You yourself said that Captain Kurotsuchi wasn't aware of what had happened. If Urahara hadn't been paying attention, we might not have known either."

"But what would be the purpose? Quincies drain reiatsu to summon their weapons. Was this one trying to fight something?"

They looked gloomily at one another, unable to offer any answers. Kiyone made a small sound, as if she was about to speak, but Ukitake reached out and grabbed her hand, as if to silence her. Surprisingly, the girl pulled away from his grasp.

"No Captain, I have to say something. This could be important." There was another wordless exchange as they traded looks, but finally Ukitake nodded. Turning to Yoruichi, the new lieutenant explained, "Before my sister and I became Shinigami, we lived in the Rukongai. I had a disease, much like my Captain, and went to a man known as the Shaman for healing. He taught us how to heal using kidou, but what we didn't find out until later was that he was also a Quincy. He used his techniques to steal reiatsu from us and the rest of his patients. I still don't know what he was planning, but I do know that he had a grudge against the Sereitei."

Yoruichi's eyes widened. _Could this be her suspect?_ "Where is he now? Could you take me to him?"

Kiyone angrily shook her head. "He's dead, or at least that's what I was told. I'm sorry. I only mentioned him because I think you're right; I think this could be the work a Quincy." She hesitated as if wanting to say more, but Ukitake gave her such a fierce glare that she went silent.

_Interesting. _

"I'm sorry we couldn't be of more help, Yoruichi-san," said Ukitake, standing up suddenly. It was a clear message for her to leave.

"It's all right; you've been of more help than you realize." The momentary flash of panic on the man's face confirmed to her that there was indeed a deeper meaning to their odd behavior. She just wished she knew what it was.

* * *

Yoruichi glared unhappily at the large fish swimming up to the edge of the pond, completely oblivious to her presence. While it sometimes amused her to pounce on small creatures just as a real cat might, she drew the line at actually eating vermin or pets. She was the head of one of the Four Great Houses, after all, and some things were simply too undignified, even for her.

She sank her four-legged body down against the warm stones bordering the pond and released a small hiss of frustration. Her mission was going nowhere, and her leads were being less than helpful. She could sense that there was an important piece of information that everyone was keeping hidden, which was the key to ending the wild goose chase that Kisuke had set her on. She didn't mind solving mysteries--they could be fun, and added spice to her otherwise monotonous life in exile. But this was fast moving out of the realm of mystery and into the category of _"puzzle"_, and that was where Yoruichi drew the line. After all, she wasn't Kisuke.

"Oh my, I wasn't expecting to find anyone else here."

Yoruichi's haunches rose reflexively as she heard the unfamiliar voice, before she remembered that she was in feline form and that no one should be able to recognize her. She turned her head swiftly to appraise the person who had managed to sneak up behind her without alarming her senses.

The man was dressed in Shinigami garb, but with an odd orange collar that spread almost to his shoulders. He was thin and not too muscled, and held himself so perfectly straight that she wouldn't have been surprised to see an object balanced on his head. Yet Yoruichi had been trained to discard first impressions and study the deeper signs that people usually keep hidden. She could tell almost instantly that despite this man's harmless appearance, he was a warrior of some skill.

She watched as he seemed to be studying her as well, which only made Yoruichi more nervous. There were still some in the Sereitei who remembered that she had another form, and it was possible that an alert had already been sent out to capture any cats in the vicinity.

The man seemed to realize her growing alarm, and held up his hands in reassurance. "I won't bother you, my little friend. I only came here to meditate and admire the beauty of the gardens." He surprised her with a slight bow, then he proceeded to walk a little farther down the edge of the pond before taking a seat in the grass.

_I should get away while I can_, she thought anxiously to herself, stealing nervous glances at the man sitting only a dozen feet away from her. Yet a voice inside chastised her for being so afraid, blaming it on her animal instincts and reminding her that she had been a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen. Even if that Shinigami managed to suddenly climb to his feet and pounce at her in under a second, she would have plenty of time to see him and get away.

"I used to visit the Fifth Division barracks," he continued, still speaking to her as if he thought she could understand. It didn't necessarily mean anything, she reminded herself. After all, some people liked to treat animals as if they were intelligent. "Captain Kuchiki has a pond filled with the most marvelous coi. Yet surprisingly, over time I noticed that his fish were disappearing, while those in Captain Ukitake's pond were multiplying. Then one night, I caught our dear little lieutenant sneaking into the Fifth Davison gardens, and wouldn't you know it, she was carrying a coi to Ukitake's pond."

Yoruichi stifled a laugh as she tried to imagine poor Byakuya's expression when he contemplated his disappearing fish. That man certainly needed to be brought down a peg or two. It was still hard for her to accept that over the years of her banishment, little Byakuya had risen to become the head of his Clan.

"Who knows what other secrets might be going on in the Sereitei that no one else is aware of," mused the Shinigami out loud. At the mention of the word _secrets_, Yoruichi's ears perked up automatically. The odd Shinigami seemed to notice her interest, and gave her a conspiratory wink. "Yes, I'm sure you've seen your fair share on your wanderings, my feline friend. I daresay I have as well. These eyes don't miss much," he said, fingering something that flowed from the right side of his face. That side had been turned away from her, but now that she looked closely, she realized that there were long colored feathers attached to his eyelids.

What a strange decoration! And yet once she had spotted it, it kept drawing her attention. The effect was almost mesmerizing, as if her animal brain had caught sight of a bird and refused to look away.

She couldn't be certain how long she had sat there staring, but the next thing she knew, the man was climbing to his feet.

"I must be going now. Good luck hunting." With another wink, he was gone, having shunpoed out of sight.

Yoruichi was almost tempted to follow him, but her predatory eyes caught something glittering on the ground where he had been sitting. She approached cautiously, sensing weak flows of kidou. As she got closer, she realized that there were words scribbled in the dirt, outlined faintly in reiatsu to make sure that they were noticed.

_Interesting.... _

* * *

Yoruichi waited until she heard the loud klaxon going off in deeper levels of the Twelfth Division research area, before she herself crossed the threshold of the building. She couldn't be absolutely certain that Mayuri _hadn't_ devised a way to track her in cat form, but if he had, she was betting he was more preoccupied with that that _other alarm_ at the moment.

She was a touch disappointed when she reached the Twelfth Captain's office without incident, but she supposed it was for the best that she get her business over with as quickly as possible. She found her quarry exactly where she left him, poring over his monitors and typing frantically at the controls. Lieutenant Omaeda's bulky form was easily recognizable on the screen, his zanpakuto in shikei form as he smashed his way through one of the laboratories. The look of glee on his face made Yoruichi feel rather proud of herself. After all, the man deserved some form of gratification after all the pain he had suffered under Soi Fon.

The researchers fled or watched from afar, looking helpless and horrified. Mayuri, on the other hand, was livid. "This will_ not _be permitted! That fool has no right to be down there!"

"I think the secret police has every right to investigate the illegal experiments you've been performing," Yoruichi smirked, phasing back into human form as she landed behind him.

She wasn't fully prepared for what happened next. Without even turning around, the Twelfth Division captain pulled another remote out of his sleeve and pressed a button. Lasers suddenly shot out at her from all sides, which Yoruichi just barely managed to dodge. What she didn't notice until a second later, however, was that the lasers had not been aimed at her, but rather, aimed around her. They intertwined to form a cage, whose electric bars she would have had a hard time squeezing through, even in cat form.

"I knew you'd return. Foolish of you to try the same trick twice. At least _I _learn from my mistakes," he said, at last turning to face her. "I can only assume this is your doing?" he snarled, pointing one hand at the monitor.

"You know I don't run the Second Division any more," Yoruichi snorted. "Though I won't deny that I may have given them a tip or two about what I found when I was last here."

"Found?" cried the mad captain. "How can you accuse me when you have no grasp of the significance of my work!"

"I don't need to understand it to know that torturing a mortally wounded hollow soul instead of purifying it is forbidden."

Mayuri's mouth twisted angrily, but he could not deny this accusation. Before giving him a chance to speak, she continued, "I could have had the entire Second Squad here, but I asked Lieutenant Omaeda to come alone. I figured it would take longer for him to tear through this place, and would give us more time to talk before you were presented with the evidence found against you."

"Evidence?" the man guffawed incredulously. "Those hollow remains are hardly worth mentioning."

"And what about your Quincy Detector?"

If possible, Mayuri became even more incensed. "Fool! How could you? And you actually expect me to use it for you now that you've told them it exists!?"

Yoruichi did her best to look calm, taking sadistic pleasure in knowing that it would only enrage the man further. "No. I expect you to hand it over to me before Omaeda finds it. I'm sure Kisuke will be able to figure out how to use it."

"Absolutely out of the question!"

"Don't worry," she reassured him, flashing her own teeth in a smile. "We won't reveal your secret."

Mayuri drew back as if burned, his rage replaced by cautious fear. "What are you blathering about?"

....

* * *

"...and then he gave me this," Yoruichi finished, handing the rather unimpressive cylindrical device over to her friend. She could see Urahara's eyes sparkle beneath the brim of his ridiculous hat.

"My dear Yoruichi, how can you possibly end the story like that without telling me how you accomplished your miracle?"

She snorted in amusement. "I thought you liked to work those puzzles out on your own." She settled herself against some of the throw pillows Urahara had laying about the store and stretched. "But very well, if you must know, he was more than happy to be rid of the thing. I guess he had always worried what might happen if one of his subordinates had figured out how to work it."

"And the secret that he was so worried might be discovered?"

Yoruichi's eyes met her friend's, piercing the shadow that always dwelled over them. She was very curious how much of this he had already suspected.

"That he himself was a Quincy soul that had been reincarnated into the Soul Society. Earlier, he had made a big deal about such souls being ordinary unless they were actually trained to use Quincy techniques, and only then would they be picked up by his sensor. So now he was vulnerable to being detected, and quite likely persecuted as most of his kindred had been."

"So someone had trained him?" asked Urahara, curious.

"Self-taught, probably, from the lessons he learned experimenting on his fellow Quincy. The one thing I don't get is how he became a Shinigami. His own admission was that Quincy souls worked differently and couldn't draw reiatsu inwardly, as we can."

Kisuke's expression darkened. "Mayuri is an expert at soul manipulation. I'm sure he found a way to overcome that obstacle." Never one to brood too long on dark thoughts, Kisuke's expression suddenly brightened and he threw Yoruichi a proud grin. "Congrats on solving the case! I knew I could count on you."

She rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at him, which he barely dodged. "If you weren't so lazy, you could have gone there yourself and probably gotten that thing from Mayuri faster than I did. And anyways, it wasn't that hard. All the clues were there."

"Clues?"

Yoruichi smiled, thinking of the message that Shinigami had scribbled in the dirt for her to find. It had filled the last piece of her puzzle. "Let's just say, a little bird told me," she said, thinking of his odd feathers.

Kisuke looked down at the object in his hands, pursing his lips thoughtfully. "I wonder how many other Quincy made it to the Soul Society."

"We might never know. Though supposedly, they have extremely keen vision and are attracted to bight colors and fanciful designs. I always thought Mayuri's sense of style was a little odd, but perhaps he simply can't help it."

Urahara grinned and tipped his striped hat at her. "Surely Mayuri's style can't be more outlandish than mine? Who knows, maybe I'm a Quincy too!" He chuckled to himself, his gaze still locked on the device so that he didn't see her sudden discomfort. "I'll see if I can't make this thing sensitive enough to pick up any Quincy soul, not just the trained ones. Wouldn't it be fun to know which of us could be one too?"

Yoruichi frowned, her thoughts once again on those colorful feathers. She wasn't in cat form, and couldn't simply dismiss this as an obsession of her feline brain. Refusing to think of the implications, she threw Kisuke a tired smile and curled her body in preparation for a nap.

"Do as you like, but as for me, I think some mysteries are better left unsolved."


	7. Urahara's Tale

Rather than focus on a particular writing style, I'll content myself with writing a chapter in outside 3rd person narrative. Probably because this is often how Western movies introduce the aging but still bad-ass protagonist, I can't help but hear an old cowboy voice reading the italicized parts. Anyway, hopefully the narration doesn't interrupt the flow of the story too much. What really made this frustrating to write was removing any internal monologue. Gah!

* * *

_Even if you'd heard tell tales of the ol' man, you still probably not believe they were 'bout him. Just looking at him, leaning back in that splintery chair, smoking his wooden pipe with his merry eyes twinkling beneath that odd striped hat, you'd think him the laziest and perhaps happiest man on earth. Mister Urahara the shopkeeper, the locals called him. The locals in our world, anyway, and that's to say the living ones. The dead ones who came to see him were usually warned in advance, and those without sense enough to listen soon found themselves regretting the bargains they struck with the man. _Don't deal with the devil_, the saying goes. 'Course Urahara isn't quite a devil, though he aint no man neither._

_Kisuke Urahara is his real name, though he's carried quite a few others. Third Seat of the Stealth Force. Twelfth Squad Captain. Head of the Research and Development Bureau. Friend of the Shihoin noble family and of the Kido Corps. Not to mention a few other titles that are less publicly advertised, not to say that he is any less proud of them._

_Ally of the Vizards. Creator of the Hyougoku. Criminal in Exile._

_Despite all this, Urahara would have you believe he is but a simple soul, innocently caught up in the storm of intrigue surrounding a certain villain named Aizen Sousuke. And he'd be right, to some small degree. But the truth of the matter is that no matter how innocent Urahara Kisuke claims he might be, trouble always finds its way to him. _

"I think I'm getting too old for this."

The black cat lounging next to him wiggled an ear in reply.

Urahara lifted up his furry companion and absently began stroking her back. "When you think about what we've been through, you and I, it's amazing we've lived this long. I can't help but wonder what it'll finally be that pushes our luck too far."

The small creature yawned, then did something completely un-cat-like and began to speak. "I'll tell you what it is that keeps you going, Kisuke. It's that damned curiosity. I should know, being part feline."

Urahara smiled and scratched behind one of Yoruichi's ears. "Yes, and who knows how many of your nine lives you've still got left in you?"

The cat chuckled. "Speaking of curiosity, did you get a chance to use Mayuri's device?"

Urahara's smile wavered momentarily. "Yes, there was a large concentration of trained Quincy reiatsu hiding in the Rukongai, as we suspected. I sent the coordinates to Captain Ukitake."

"That's probably the best choice. I got the impression when I spoke to him that he had a vested interest in finding this Quincy." After another yawn and an agile roll to her belly, presenting Urahara a new place to rub, she added, "And I take it you did not share this information with the Kurosakis or our own Quincy friends?"

The old man sighed. "The Ishidas are suspicious of me enough as it is. I will help Uryuu as much as I can if he actually comes to see me, but I have a feeling he won't. He's far too busy with his training, and now that Chad and Orihime are out of town, he's had to take over their hollow duty."

"Poor Ichigo. He must hate being unable to help them."

"He's never liked being helpless," nodded the shopkeeper. "Still, his weakness should wear off sooner than Rukia's did, given his enormous reiatsu stores."

The cat threw him a sly smile. "And the fact that you didn't sneak a hyogokou-seal into his body."

Urahara looked slightly abashed. "Hey there, you know why I-"

They were interrupted by the sudden entrance of Tessai, the shop's large clerk-and sometimes mystical arts specialist-who chose that moment to burst through the door.

"Sir, the kids spotted Kurosaki on his way here."

The cat and shop owner exchanged surprised looks. "Speak of the devil," chuckled Yoruichi. "I wonder if he found out about Chad and Orihime leaving him behind. He's got to be in quite a foul mood."

Tessai shook his head. "No ma'am, I mean the _other_ Kurosaki. And he's got someone with him."

* * *

_Kisuke Urahara liked puzzles. They were the grease that kept the gears in his noggin running smooth. When times were slow and he had nothing but time, he'd make up his own puzzles, thinking 'bout what he'd do if 'so-and-so' might one day choose to drop on his doorstep, or 'such-and-such' an emergency threatened to end the world. So Kisuke often seemed to have an answer for just about anything, because chances were he'd already thought them up a long time ago. _

_What dropped on his doorstep this day, he had never imagined. _

"Before she left the second time for the Royal Guard, Captain Unohana told me about Captain Shiba and how I could find him if I needed to," said the lavender-haired woman trembling on his couch. Her name was Isane Kutetsu, but that's all Urahara had learned so far.

Ishiin smiled grimly. "I always suspected Unohana knew that I was really still alive and hiding out in the real world."

The woman-a captain herself judging from the haori around her shoulders-looked mortified. "I thought about going to the Captain Commander instead, but I remember what happened to the Vizard Captains, and I was scared." She looked imploringly up at Urahara. "Captain Shiba said you could help..?"

Urahara's eyes were riveted to the large gaping hole in the center of her neck. He seemed to have difficultly speaking for a few seconds. "I...I'm not certain. To be honest, I wouldn't have thought this was possible."

Yoruichi, now in human form, looked up at him in surprise. "How is this different from what Aizen did to the others?"

The old man made a vague waving motion towards the hole. "The Vizards were shinigami who had been tainted with hollow energy, but they remained shinigami at their core. They had masks but no hollow hole. In this case, we have a shinigami with a hollow hole but no mask, although until we do a thorough examination for one we can't be certain. The core of what she is-or was-has been altered. She has not just been tainted, she has moved from one extreme on the spectrum to another."

Tessai moved forward and rested his large hands on her shoulders. "We'll do what we can for you, Captain." A faint glow spread between his fingers, and before anyone could react, the woman's head sagged forward as she fell unconscious. He looked back at Urahara and explained, "If she really is a hollow, I didn't think it was safe to just leave her sitting there."

Urahara nodded. "I think she has enough control of herself that she wouldn't have attacked anyone. She wasn't made this way as a weapon against us. She's meant to be a warning."

"From that Quincy, you think?" asked Yoruichi.

Ishhin turned to look at them suspiciously. "Ryuuken told me you were asking him and Uryuu some odd questions. Is there something I should know about?"

Urahara adjusted his hat distractedly. "I detected some areas in town that were drained of spiritual pressure. Only a little, not so much that you could easily detect, but it was spread over a large area. It's what someone would do if they needed a lot of power but didn't want anyone to notice."

"Unless they did it precisely because it would make _you_ notice," frowned Yoruichi. "They wanted to prove to you that they were being clever."

"That doesn't make sense though," argued Ishhin, looking confused. "Why bother trying to get your attention? And if they needed to drain reiatsu, why stay in the real world? Why not go to the Soul Society, or Hueco Mundo where the air is thick with it?"

"We don't have all the facts yet," admitted Urahara uneasily, scratching at the stubble on his chin. "But we do have evidence of Quincy reaitsu in the Soul Society, and it's been highly trained and refined. There aren't too many resurrected Quincy souls who still remember how to do that."

"I'm more concerned with the return of the Hyogokou, or at least that's what you made it sound like was happening," said Ishiin. "Ichigo told me it was drained of power and broken, but if someone was able to fix it-"

"That might be what they needed the reiatsu for, Kisuke," nodded Yoruichi anxiously.

"Not just anyone has the knowledge to use the Hyogokou, even if they got their hands on it," mused the scientist.

Ishiin glanced over at their unconscious visitor and frowned. "On our way here, she told me that the one who did this to her was some sort of shaman, a genius at manipulating spirit energy. He might just be smart enough to figure it out."

* * *

_Kiske Urahara was a clever fellow. Some claimed he'd stayed alive all this time 'cuz he saw things three steps ahead of everyone else. But if you ever said those words back to him, he'd shake his head and chuckle softly, telling you that only in board games did you worry about your opponents' moves. Games were set so that you couldn't cheat, and everyone had to play by a set of rules. But the way Urahara had survived the real world was by refusing to accept the rules, and cheat as much as he could get away with._

Despite his outward confidence, he did check to be certain the restraints were tight before he injected Isane with the stimulant. Within moments her eyes fluttered open as she assessed her predicament, bound to the ground by the thick black straps of a Black Coffin kido. To her credit, she seemed to take it all in rather calmly.

Urahara gave her a few moments to orient herself, then said unapologetically, "We really couldn't take the chance."

"I know," answered his guest, a bite of irony in her voice. "I'm actually surprised you didn't kill me."

"We were a little too quick in incapacitating you before we had all the answers. We managed to piece together that there is a resurrected Quincy called the Shaman who did this to you, possibly with the help of the Hyogokou. During the war with Aizen, were you briefed about its powers?"

"Yes," sighed the woman in a tired voice. "I knew about the Orb. And in the dream I had, if it was a dream, the Shaman showed it to me. How he got his hands on it, I have no idea. We were told it was destroyed after the war."

Urahara swept the ground with his hand and took a seat beside her so that she wouldn't need to stare up at him. "I tried to save the Vizards before, but even with the Hogyokou, all I could do was stabilize them. Your case is even more extreme, but it also seems more stable. Are you hearing voices in your head, or feel any great hunger or thirst?"

"No."

Urahara ruminated on that a bit before continuing. "The Espada were the furthest on the Hollow evolutionary scale that I've ever encountered. Theoretically it can go all the way to Vasto Lord, but I've never actually seen one. Supposedly, like arrancar, they shrink down and look more human the more powerful they become."

She seemed to have nothing to say to this, so he went on.

"On a Vizard, the mask is merely a symbol that their hollow power is being accessed. Hollows, on the other hand, have an incomplete soul, represented by their hollow hole. This hole leaves them vulnerable, so the mask acts as a safety mechanism, locking away some of their power to boost their defensive abilities. When they get strong enough that their hierro can shield them, they can lose most of their mask, freeing up some of that stored power. But the thing is, we could find no evidence of a mask on you at all."

"So what are you saying? Am I a hollow or not?" she asked, her shaky voice betraying her fear.

The old man studied her carefully. "Your reiatsu level is lower than I would expect of a high class hollow. In fact, I don't detect any hollow energy emanating from you at all. Nevertheless, the hole in your neck shows that part of your soul has been taken, and in normal circumstances the hollow mask should have formed immediately after. It's as if your hollowfication has been stopped partway and held in suspension. I can't be certain how long you will stay this way, but-"

"But you'll need to keep me here until you know I'm safe. I understand. Now that I think about it, this may have been the Shaman's intent all along; to get me to come to you and then release my hollow form inside your headquarters."

"We'll keep you confined and under surveillance for the time being. Maybe we can find out how to reverse what they did on you later. For now I hope we can expect your cooperation."

He heard a growl and looked down at her worriedly, thinking the hollow might be emerging. Her hands were clenched at her sides, but she still seemed to be in control.

"Just find the bastard," she seethed. "And this time make sure he's dead."

* * *

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. _Urahara had never been a real fan of that philosophy. For one, it had been the style of Aizen Souske, and that man-smart as he was-had also been a paranoid sociopath, as well as twenty other sorts of crazy. Urahara was more a firm believer in '_live and let live'_, and if something particularly unpleasant or dangerous came along and needed taking care of, he would just mosey on over and do it without troubling anyone. It wasn't that he was the loner type, or overly confident in his abilities. He expected to die some day, just like everybody else, probably in some messy and uncomfortable manner. He'd made enough enemies that that sort of end was pretty much a given._

_But whatever did finally kill him, Urahara was pretty sure he didn't want it to end up near anyone he cared about. And so in this case, as usually happened, Urahara decided to go it alone._

Urahara felt the passageway snap shut behind him and took a moment to catch his breath. It was odd being back in the Soul Society again. He hadn't returned since his exile, as Yoruichi was usually the one to go whenever they had business there. She probably would have insisted on coming again if he had told her what he was planning. He could already imagine her furious expression when she found him gone.

Looking around, he realized that he must be in one of the upper number districts. The shabby buildings seemed ready to fall apart, and the people-the few who ventured into the street to gawk at him-wore nothing but rags. Maybe he should have dressed in his old Shinigami uniform in order to impress the locals to leave him alone. As it was, they probably couldn't recognize that the cane he carried was a zanpakuto.

Keeping one eye open for trouble, he glanced down at the Quincy energy detector and confirmed that his target was nearby. Now he just had to hope that Mayuri didn't have a similar "Urahara detector" and that it wasn't currently blaring out his position to the Sereitei. Urahara had had an uneasy alliance with them over recent years, with Shinigami coming to his store for supplies and news whenever they passed into the Real World. However, the official stance was that he was still a traitor and was banned from entering the Soul Society.

"Who goes there?" a voice called out nearby. In the span of half a second, Urahara had considered a dozen options that included fleeing, hiding, fighting, and blowing himself up, but in the end, decided to just stay where he was and see who had found him. He was a little surprised when he recognized who it was.

"Why hello, miss Kotetsu," greeted Urahara calmly, although inside his mind he was anything but calm. "Oh, I'm sorry, _lieutenant _Kotetsu. I just noticed your badge. Congratulations on the promotion!"

A short woman with brown hair approached him. She had her zanpakuto already drawn, and eyed him warily. "Wait, I know you. You're Kiske Urahara, the shopkeeper."

"Yes, we met on the day you took Rukia Kuchki on her first trip to the world of the living. You brought her to my shop. That was...quite an eventful moment for me, so I thank you."

Kiyone Kotetsu could not possibly realize that he referred to the hyogokou and his giving the special gigai to Rukia. It still made him cringe a little, but at the time, he could envision no other way to be rid of the thing.

"So what are you doing in the Soul Society?" she asked, still gripping her zanpakuto nervously.

Urahara motioned towards the device he carried. "This is my Quincy Detector. Or Captain Kurotsuchi's, I should say. I'm the one who gave the coordinates of the anomalous signal to your captain. Or at least, I assume Ukitake is still your captain. I know there has been some reshuffling in the ranks recently."

Kiyone nodded, but her eyes were locked on the detector. Urahara had a sudden theory, and glanced down at the device for confirmation.

"Don't worry, lieutenant, your secret's safe with me." He tried to put on a reassuring face, but could sense the woman's fear skyrocket. "I can only barely detect you with this. It shows that you practice some of the Quincy abilities, but not most of them, and not often enough to develop those powers fully."

"The Shaman only taught me how to heal," she defended. "I only practice the techniques on my Captain to make him well."

Urahara nodded. The missing pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. "I see. And that's why Ukitake had a vested interest in finding this renegade Quincy. Does this also mean he taught your sister?"

Kiyone hesitated, likely from an unwillingness to expose another's secrets. But Urahara had already guessed at them. "I have just finished speaking with Captain Kotetsu. She mentioned the Shaman to me, but I had no idea she had worked closely with him. It would explain why he attacked her."

The lieutenant's eyes bulged. "He attacked Isane!?" she cried. "How? Where is she?"

So Isane had not told her sister everything. Now it was Urahara who felt obliged to keep secrets. "She is safe and resting. But she emphasized this Shaman character posed a serious threat to the Soul Society. That's why I decided to come myself, even though I already knew Ukitake was on the case."

Kiyone nodded, then motioned towards a house down the street. "That's where your coordinates led us. My captain went in there almost an hour ago. I haven't seen anything or heard any sounds of battle. I've been getting worried. I would have followed him, but he told me under no circumstances was I to go inside.

Urahara looked at the building grimly. Something was definitely wrong. "All right lieutenant, I'll go have a look. If I'm not out in ten minutes, I want you to alert the other captains. Do not send anyone else, understood?"

She nodded in wide-eyed surprise. Urahara took a deep breath and braced himself for what he might find.

_And so, our brave hero walked down that long stretch of dusty road, not knowing what dangers lurked in the shadows. Would this be the day he finally met his grisly end? _


End file.
